Not Your Fault
by omcmarshmallow
Summary: My take on season one of Veronica Mars. The story starts during 'Weapons of Class Destruction', from when Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. This is a LoVe story, obviously. Will go a little AU.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 **Chapter Word Count** : 1,218

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

* * *

"Where are we going?" Veronica asks Ben, trying hard not to look as nervous and freaked out as she felt.

"Well, you should know. You must have followed me there," he tells her. _I guess I wasn't as conspicuous as I thought when I'd been following him_.

"The Camelot?"

"Yep. I'll say this, Veronica. You're a pesky one. You're screwing everything up." _Yeah. Because I'm the one planning to blow up the school_.

~~LoVe~~

Veronica and Ben arrive at The Camelot. He has a firm grip on Veronica's arm, dragging her up the steps to the second floor of the motel.

"My dad's a private detective. If I don't check with him after school, he freaks. There will be people looking for me, armed people." Veronica says, hoping he will let her go.

"I wanna show you something." Ben says, arm reaching behind him.

"Why can't we do it someplace public? Frappucino anyone? My treat."

"I know you think you're being a hero, but a lot of people might die 'cause of you." Taking a few more steps, they are stopped from going further by Logan coming around the corner. He punches Ben and he goes down, while Veronica is thrown forward. As Logan punches Ben more, Ben's wallet is thrown onto the ground.

Veronica picks up Ben's wallet. "Logan, stop!" Logan has a hold on Ben's shirt with one hand and has his other raised, ready for another punch. He pauses and turns at the sound of Veronica's voice. She turns the wallet around, showing that it's a badge. "He's a federal agent."

~~LoVe~~

In a room at The Camelot, Ben talks to Veronica about the bomb threats while Logan waits outside. He asks for her help, to which she agrees. _He may be an agent, but boy am I glad Logan punched him. Now that his plan didn't work, this arrogant asshat wants me to do the rest? Well, I was looking into the case anyway, so I might as well do it._

Veronica leaves the room and joins Logan outside on the balcony. "You okay?" He asks her as he leans on the wall.

"Um-hm." Veronica nods. Leaning up, she kisses Logan on the corner of his mouth. Surprised, he straighten and stares at her intently. She shakes her head and gives a breathy laugh. _What did I just do? Kiss Logan? No. That was a mistake._ Veronica turns to walk away determined to leave and forget this ever happened, but Logan grabs her arm and twirls her around.

Suddenly he's kissing her. And she's kissing him back. Logan's arms are around her waist, pulling her closer. Veronica's arms go around his neck, pulling his head down closer, deepening the kiss. Her hands move down to his shoulders while his caress her lower back. When they break the kiss, they're both shocked and slightly confused. _Oh my god. What just happened?_ They awkwardly separate and Veronica turns to walk away.

Logan doesn't know what to do. _Did that really just happen?_ He watches as Veronica walks quickly away. He's still up on the balcony when she reaches her car. They lock gazes while she opens her door and gets inside. Veronica drives away, Logan following her with his eyes.

~~LoVe~~

"Hey honey. How was your day? Did you play nice with all of the other children at school?" Keith asks Veronica from the kitchen as she enters the apartment.

"Yeah. Of course. When do I ever not play nice? C'mon dad," she replies. Before coming home, she'd gone over to Norris's house and eventually figured out that Pete was the one sending false bomb threats. Even though she had a little bit of time to think when she had been alone, it hadn't been quite enough. Veronica had to calm down before seeing her dad. She knew if she'd come home before collecting herself, he'd pick up something was bothering her. So she parked about a block away and sat in her car, thinking about everything that happened between her and Logan.

"Hmmm..." Keith says.

"Well anyway, I've got a lot of homework to do so I'll be in my room, okay," she tells him as she walks to her room and shuts the door before he can get a word in.

Setting her things on the floor, Veronica flops down on her bed. _I just can't stop thinking about that kiss, dammit. I could really use someone to talk to about this. There's Wallace, but he doesn't really like Logan and probably wouldn't want to do the whole 'girl talk' with me. Meg? As much help as she'd probably be, I don't think I can talk to her. Things have been awkward ever since she began dating Duncan. Yes, my feelings for Duncan are gone. I don't love him like I used to anymore. He's not even a friend anymore. I guess it's just weird seeing him dating someone else seriously since he 'broke up' with me. No, I'm not jealous. Definitely not. I like Logan now. There's really no reason I-_

 _Wait. What!? I like Logan now?_ Veronica sits up so fast she feels dizzy for a moment. _Do I really feel that way?_ Looking back on the past couple of times she's spent with Logan, Veronica realizes that she enjoyed it. The Logan she's been spending time with lately is so nice and funny. He's easy to talk to and seems to know just what she's thinking and talking about all the time.

 _Oh my god. I like Logan!_

Veronica falls back onto her bed and let's that sink in. _I know that's how I feel. I don't hate him anymore._ As much as Veronica tries to shake off these feelings, she can't.

~~LoVe~~

"Veronica? Honey, I thought you said you had homework to do. What are you doing just laying in bed?" Keith asks Veronica as he stands in the doorway.

Veronica realizes that she's been lying in bed for the past two hours just thinking. About Logan. About the amazing kiss at The Camelot. About how wrong this _should_ be, but feels _so_ right.

"Oh, uh, I just got done with an assignment and decided to take a short break." _I hope he believes that_.

"You, taking a short break?" _Yeah, didn't think so._

"Fine. I lied. I don't have any homework to do tonight. I've just got so much on my mind right now and I just wanted some alone time to think about it all. You know, clear my head." She tells him honestly. She wasn't looking at him when she said it. She was still staring up at the ceiling, but she could tell that he got _that_ look on his face. The one he always gets when something's bothering her, but he knows she won't tell him.

"Well, I'm here if you want to talk," he sighs. "Oh, also, there's some left over lasagna with your name on it when you get hungry." He smiles at her before he heads back to the living room.

 _What am I going to do now? The kiss with Logan. Not to mention, these newfound feelings for him. There's also the bomb threats on the school._ Veronica sighs and gets up from her bed. _I'll figure this out later. First things first, dinner._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 **Chapter Word Count** : 1,240

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hi guys! So, there are a couple things I should mention about this story. They aren't too important just yet, since they haven't happened and whatnot. Anyways, a few things you should know:

\- Veronica had sent the paternity test in "Drinking the Kool-Aid", but instead of receiving them when she did, there was a problem and they were delayed, so much so that she hasn't gotten the results back yet in this story.

\- Duncan doesn't skip town to Cuba. Honestly, I'm not too sure what I'm going to do about the Donut yet. I've got a few ideas, but if you guys have any suggestions of what you'd like to see happen, feel free to leave a comment!

\- I won't talk about all of the cases Veronica takes. If it's not mentioned, it might not be included (yet). Like I mentioned above, not everything will happen in order. I might end up switching around some of her cases.

\- Veronica and Leo didn't date. They flirted but never went out. (Sorry not sorry, but I'm LoVe all the way!)

\- Finally, so far I've got a couple chapters written. The story seems to be slow-paced so far. As I post new chapters, please let me know if you guys like the slow pace, or if you'd rather I just get on with it.

P.S. Even though I have some chapters written, I won't always post so quickly. I want to make sure I'm a good ways ahead before posting. I know how much it saddens me when an author goes on a hiatus because they don't have enough written yet. I don't want to do that. I reeeaaalllyy hope that doesn't happen.

Now on with the story!

* * *

Veronica wakes up early the next day and gets ready for school, finishing faster than usual. When she goes to the kitchen to eat breakfast, she notices her dad has already left to the office. Veronica eats the food her dad left for her quickly. The closer it gets for her to leave the apartment and drive to school, the more nervous she gets. _Why am I feeling so nervous now? I don't even have to talk to Logan yet. I can just ignore him, make sure he doesn't get the chance to get to me. Yeah, that's it. I'll even have Wallace help me._

Veronica is just about to grab the doorknob to leave the apartment, when there's a knock on the door. Peeking through the window, Veronica sees who it is. _Oh my god, it's Logan._

"I know you're here Ronnie. Your car's out front. Plus I was in my car for almost fifteen minutes, so..." Logan says from the other side of the door.

 _Damn. I was so hoping I'd get at least a day before having to face him_. Veronica sighs. _Well, it's gonna have to be now then, Veronica_.

Veronica steps outside, shutting the door behind her. Logan is leaning on the railing across from her. _When did he get so good-looking?_

"Hey." he says, with that smile of his that makes Veronica want to go up and kiss him. _Where did that feeling come from?_

"Hey," she says.

"I, uh, wanted to talk to you before school," he says, looking at his shoes as he spoke. He seems nervous. But when is Logan ever nervous?

"About what?" Veronica asks. She knows what he's talking about, but just wants him to say it out loud. _Maybe he'll say something else and yesterday was just some weird dream, so I can forget about it._

"C'mon Veronica. You know what I'm talking about," he tells me, a smile playing on his face. Veronica just smiles back.

"You really gonna make me say it?" Logan says with a smile. Again, Veronica's response is to keep smiling at him.

"Okay, fine." He's looking down at his shoes again for a couple of seconds, before looking back up at Veronica. He slowly takes a step towards her. "I came here, because I wanted to know where we stand now. What with what happened yesterday. Between us." He's looking at her with a serious expression, staring right into her eyes. _God, he has the most beautiful brown eyes. Stop! Snap out of it, Veronica! If you just keep staring, he'll think you've gone crazy_.

"Uhm, I-" she begins, before he cuts her off.

"Look, I know things haven't been great between us for the past year, but, I don't know, things have been different during the past couple weeks."

"Yeah, it's definitely been different." Veronica agrees, nodding slightly.

He smiles at her with that Logan smile, and she can't stop herself from smiling back.

"What are we doing Logan?" Veronica asks seriously, looking into his eyes.

"I have no idea." Logan replies before quickly closing the distance between them, crashing his lips on hers. Like the kiss at The Camelot, their arms quickly wrap around each other, pulling the other closer.

They are brought out of the kiss when Veronica's cell phone rings. Veronica takes it from her back pocket and looks at the name. _Wallace._ Giving Logan an apologetic look, she answers it.

"Hello."

"Hey, V. Where are you? I've been standing on my front porch for like ten minutes waiting for you. Are you okay? 'Cause I can grab a ride from someone else."

"Sorry Wallace. I got kinda sidetracked on my way out." Veronica says, shooting Logan a look, to which he simply smirks.

"Hey it's cool. I'll see you at school, okay. Bye."

"Okay. Bye." Veronica puts away her phone and, sighing, she tells Logan, "You made me late to pick up Wallace for school."

"Wallace?" Logan asks, trying to figure out who that is. Veronica just stares at him, seeing if he'll figure it out. "The basketball player?" Veronica nods her head yes. "Sorry," he says, giving her a small smile.

"It's fine. Lucky for him, he can find another ride." Veronica says, as she begins walking down the way to her car.

"So, speaking of school..." Logan begins, but trails off. It's then that Veronica stops walking and turns to face him.

"What about school?"

"Well, you and I both know what will happen when we get there. Together. I was just-"

" _When_?" She blurts out, cutting him off.

"Yeah, well, I figured I could drive you, you know." Logan tells her as he grabs her hand.

"Uh..." She starts, looking at their joined hands. She doesn't know what to say. She didn't expect him to want to tell the whole school about them so quickly.

Noticing her lack of response, Logan begins to feel slightly nervous.

"You don't want to..." He begins.

"It's not that... I just..." She can't seem to find the right words. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she continues, "Look, Logan. You just said it yourself. You and I both know how everyone will react." She's looking right into his eyes, hoping he'll understand what else she's trying to say without voicing them. "Can't we do this tomorrow or something? I need some time. To tell Wallace and my dad at least. I don't want them finding out from someone else. Besides, I'll need at least a day just to explain everything to them." She finishes with a sigh, taking his other hand in hers.

"Yeah. You're right. I should probably do the same thing and talk to a few people first." He says, smile in place. "But, I will come by and drive us to school tomorrow, though." He tells her, with his signature smirk replacing the smile. All Veronica can do is smile and shake her head at him.

Kissing her, he says, "Well, then. I'll see you at school... Girlfriend." Kissing him back, Veronica can't seem to stop the smile and blush that begins to appear on her cheeks from his words. He opens her car door for her and closes it once she's in her seat. He begins to walk to his own car, when he suddenly turns back around towards Veronica. She had been putting her things in the passenger seat and hadn't noticed Logan returning, so she jumps slightly when he knocks on her window.

She rolls down the window. Bending down so that he's at her eye level, Logan says, "Uhm. So since we're doing the whole revealing thing tomorrow, maybe tonight we could do something..."

Smiling, Veronica replies, "Sure."

"Great. I'll come by at seven. Maybe some take out at the beach?"

"Sounds good." She says, still smiling.

"Good." They look into each other's eyes for a moment more before they kiss again. It was like every time they looked into each other's eyes, a force was pulling them towards each other. Once the kiss is over, they smile at each other and Logan walks back to his car. With a little wave, Logan takes off. Before Veronica does, she takes a moment to cool down. When she feels she's finally calm, she drives off for school.

 _Wow, Logan's my boyfriend now. Logan Echolls. Never would I have thought I'd be dating Logan._ Smiling, Veronica continues the drive to school.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

 **Chapter Word Count** : 1,224

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Here's the next chapter! I originally didn't plan on posting again so soon, but I'm going out of town for a few days, so I figured I'd post before I leave. Hope you guys like this one!

* * *

Veronica arrived at school and shut off her car just as the first bell rang. "Good, I'm not late," she said as she grabbed her bag and headed inside the school building. Grabbing her things from her locker, Veronica walked to class and had just sat down next to Wallace when the late bell rang. _Barely made it_.

"Hey, what happened to you this morning? I figured you'd be late after calling you, but, you know, I didn't think you'd actually be late." Wallace whispered as they both half-paid attention to what the teacher was saying.

"Yeah, I got held up. Don't worry, I'll explain it all later okay?" Veronica whispered back. Wallace simply nodded, not saying anything more since the teacher was about to notice they weren't exactly paying attention.

After class ended, Wallace walked with Veronica down the hall. Looking at her curiously, he said hesitantly, "So when you said you'll explain it all later, you meant..."

"Lunch." Veronica replied. "I'll explain everything at lunch. Though I am gonna say, we should probably have lunch somewhere more private. I don't really want anyone else to overhear our conversation."

"Yeah. Okay, sure. I'll meet you at your locker then." Veronica nodded as they went their separate ways towards their classes.

Lunch came faster than Veronica would have liked. She didn't have any reason to dread the conversation she was going to have with Wallace. She knew he'd be okay with her and Logan. Eventually. Still, there was that small amount of doubt in her mind, telling her he'd completely freak out once all was revealed. _No. He wouldn't. Wallace is cool._ Veronica sighed. _God, I hope this goes well._

"Hey, V. So, where ya wanna talk?" Wallace said right when he met Veronica at her locker.

"Let's go to the journalism room. There's usually nobody in there. If there is, we can always go have lunch in my car." They made their way to the journalism room, and as it was, the coast was clear. They both sat at the back of the room with the door closed and in sight.

"Okay, Wallace. Before I dive right in, I need you to promise me that you won't freak out. And please let me explain everything completely before you say anything."

Wallace looked at her suspiciously, but she was his best friend. He was sure that whatever she was going to tell him couldn't be so bad. Nodding his head, he let her explain to him everything that had transpired between her and Logan. It was an understatement to say that he was shocked they were now dating. He'd witnessed it firsthand when Logan bashed in Veronica's headlights. He'd seen and heard everything that was thrown Veronica's way since then.

Veronica was starting to worry. Wallace had been staring at her with his mouth slightly open for the past two minutes. _Okay. Calm down, Veronica. He's just taking it in._

"Wallace?" To this he finally closed his mouth and sat up in his seat a bit. "Say something please."

After taking in a deep breath, Wallace finally spoke. "Why? After everything that's happened. Why? Why him?" His face was serious.

"I-I don't know _why_ Wallace." Veronica said, looking into his eyes, imploring him to try to understand. "It just happened, okay."

"But-"

"Look." Veronica looked down at her hands, then back up to his face after a moment. "Logan and I. We used to be close. Best friends even. Before." Wallace was about to say something again, but Veronica put up a hand to stop him. "I know. If we were so close then why did he turn his back on me and everything." Looking off to the side briefly, Veronica sighed. "I can't say that I completely understand why he did what he did, but what I do understand is that something's different. Ever since he asked me for help- I don't know Wallace. It was like we started going back to how it used to be between us. Only better."

Wallace didn't know exactly how to respond to that, so he just looked down at his lap for a moment. Sighing he looked back up to his best friend. _She looks like she really does like him. I guess I'll have to just support her._

"Okay, V. I get it, I do. Or at least, as much I can." Smiling at her, he continued. "I have to say though. I'm pretty surprised. I mean, the guy bashed in your headlights with a damn crowbar!" Veronica was going to say something but Wallace wouldn't let her, "I know. I know. Something's changed. Thinking about it more now, I'll admit. He is different. In a good way." After pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, Wallace continues, "Look, if he makes you happy, then I'm cool with you guys dating. I'm not gonna be the type of person to stand in the way of their best friend's happiness." To this Veronica smiled, and then burst out laughing when Wallace said, "And if he hurts you in any way, just know, Papa Bear will kick his ass all the way to planet Neptune."

"Thanks Wallace. It means a lot." Smiling, they continued eating their lunches and talking about what they were going to do later. When the bell rang, they said their goodbyes as Wallace left to go to his class and Veronica settled in her seat, waiting for class to begin.

Veronica was relieved that her talk with Wallace went so well. She'd seen Logan around school all day. She wanted to go over to him and tell him how well it had gone, but she knew she couldn't do that yet. All she did was smile at him when they made eye contact. During journalism, Veronica almost couldn't take it anymore. There he was. Logan. Her _boyfriend_. And she couldn't do anything because they had agreed they'd wait until tomorrow. It was even worse when he'd give her those smiles of his that made her want to kiss him and never stop. Veronica let out a sigh of relief when, the final bell rang, signaling that school was finally over.

When she got to her locker, she mentally went through her classes, listing what books she'd need to take home for later. _Later_. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of _later. I have a date with Logan later._ A locker slamming closed interrupted Veronica's thoughts and brought her back. _God. How long have I been standing here? Smiling like an idiot no less. Jeez, I am such a girl._ Shaking her head a little, Veronica closes her locker. She readjusts her bag over her shoulder and makes her way out the doors of Neptune High.

Walking out to the parking lot towards her car, she discreetly searched for Logan. She hadn't seen him since journalism. He wasn't there yet. She could see his yellow monstrosity of a car still in its parking spot. When she made it to her car she could see a piece of paper on the passenger seat. _That's odd. How'd that get there?_ She grabbed the paper as soon as she sat down. It was folded in half, with her name written on the outside. Veronica smiled. She knew whose handwriting that was.

* * *

 **A/N** : The next chapter will have Veronica talking to her dad about her new relationship with Logan. Stay tuned! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 **Chapter Word Count** : 1,400

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hey guys! I'm back, so here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy! :)

* * *

 _Veronica,_

 _I've talked to everyone who I needed to talk to. They took it- Well, as well they could possibly take it. They being who they are._

 _I know. I know. Why didn't I just text you all this? Or just wait until later? Well. To be honest, I was kind of hoping I'd catch you alone in the parking lot, but alas, you were no where to be seen._

 _Anyways, I'll see you tonight._

 _Logan_

Veronica couldn't help the little smile that appeared on her face. _He's such a softie._ She once again searched the parking lot for Logan from the confines of her car, but she couldn't find him. Sighing, she put on her seatbelt, turned on her car, and made her way out of the Neptune High parking lot.

She was about four blocks away from the school when her cell phone rang. She quickly pulled it out of her bag and answered it without looking at the caller I.D.

"Hello?"

"Hey Veronica." Logan said. Veronica could practically hear his signature smirk as he spoke.

"Hi Logan." Veronica smiled. "What's up?" Veronica had now parked across the street from her dad's office, but remained in the car. She'll wait until the phone call is over before going inside.

"Well, I was on my way to my last class of the day when I remembered something. I had some news to talk about with a few certain people. So, instead of going to class, I rounded them up and told them."

"Oooh, and how did that go? You still have your limbs intact, right? They didn't all go berserk on you?" Veronica joked.

Logan chuckled. "No. They didn't touch my perfect self. They did, however, just sit there, staring at me, blank expressions on their faces with their mouths pretty much hitting the floor. You would've loved it."

"So, in other words, it went as expected." Veronica smiled.

"Yeah." Logan replied. After a moment, he continued, "So we're still on for tonight right? Pick you up at seven. Some take out at the beach."

"Mmhhmm. Though I should warn you. I haven't told my dad just yet, so it'll all still be a little too new for him." Veronica said, hoping he wouldn't be too mad at her for not telling her dad about them yet.

"What do you mean you haven't told your dad?" Logan asked, his voice rising slightly as he spoke.

"Jesus, Logan. I was just about to get out of my car to go talk to him at the office when you called! I haven't had the chance to talk to him since last night."

"I'm sorry. I just thought you would have told him by now. I-I don't know..." He sighed.

"It's okay. Listen. I'll tell him the moment I step into the office okay?" After hearing Logan's mumbled reply, she adds, "And as soon as I'm done I'll go home and get ready for later okay?"

"Okay." Logan smiled.

"Oh, and be prepared. He'll probably want to talk to you. If not tonight, then at some point."

"A talk?" Logan asked, trying not to sound too nervous. He'd gone out with a lot of girls, but never with anyone like Veronica. He actually truly cared for her. _Jeez Logan. You better not mess this up!_

"Yes a talk. He'll tell you all about his gun collection and how he's licensed to use it. But don't worry. He only does it to scare you." Veronica said.

"Yeah okay." Logan shakes his head to clear his mind. _Gun collection. Former sheriff. Yeah. Nothing to be scared of._ "So, anyway, I'll see you tonight then. Okay."

"Okay."

"Bye Veronica."

"Bye Logan."

Ending the call, Veronica puts her phone back inside her bag and gets out of her LeBaron. Once she gets inside Mars Investigations, she notices the door to her father's office is closed. _He's with a client._ Taking her seat at her desk, she places her bag on the floor by her chair, and starts looking at the files on her desk.

"I'll get back to you with more information in a few days, Mrs. Lopez." Keith said to a woman Veronica recognized as Mrs. Diana Lopez, who lived in the same apartment complex as them.

After Mrs. Lopez left the office, Keith turned to his daughter. "Hey honey. How was school today?"

"Oh you know. Same old same old." Her dad was about to turn back to his office, when Veronica stopped him. _Now's as good a time as any._ "Dad wait." She waited until her father turned to face her. Sitting up in her chair she said, "I need to talk to you about something. Something kinda important."

Noticing his daughter's hesitation, Keith softly said, "What is it, honey?"

Taking in a deep breath, Veronica replied, "You know how Logan's been around quite a bit lately?" Her father nodded. "So, I don't exactly know how it happened, but we- Logan and me- we're kind of dating now. And we're going out tonight." Veronica finished quickly.

If someone had told him something like this two months ago, Keith would have looked at them like they had three heads and ten eyes. However, he had to admit there had been a change in both his daughter and the young Echolls boy. He may not like Logan much, but his daughter seemed happy with him. _I guess I'll give him a chance._ Keith sighed. _But if he hurts my little girl, there will be hell to pay._

"Are you sure about this honey? I mean, you two haven't exactly been friends for a while." Keith questioned.

"Dad. Like I said. I don't exactly know how this all happened, okay. I mean, I guess we kinda grew closer when I helped him with his mom's case."

A few minutes of silence passed, Keith coming to terms and Veronica trying to think of a better way to explain. Just as Veronica began to open her mouth to say something, her dad spoke.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes, okay." He smiled. Sighing, he added, "I may not trust that boy, and so help me if he hurts you in any way he'll regret it, but honey, if you're happy, then okay." Veronica smiled widely and Keith couldn't help but match it. He was about to go into his office, when he remembered, "You said you two are going out tonight?"

"Yeah." Veronica said, still smiling.

"Well, he better get to the apartment early. I'm going to have a little chat with him before you two head out." Smirking, he went into his office, closing the door behind him.

Veronica couldn't help but laugh. _He can be so predictable sometimes. I should probably text Logan to get to the apartment early._

3:47 To Logan From Veronica:

 _Told my dad._

3:48 To Veronica From Logan:

 _How'd it go?_

3:48 To Logan From Veronica:

 _Good. He wants 2 tlk 2 u._

3:50 To Veronica From Logan:

 _How early should I get there then?_

3:51 To Logan From Veronica:

 _Ten minutes earlier._

3:52 To Veronica From Logan:

 _Okay then. See u 2night ;)_

3:52 To Logan From Veronica:

 _Ok :)_

Looking at the clock, she decided to do her homework. _3:55. All the files are put away. Might as well do all my assignments and answer the phone if I need to. I won't have time to do anything later anyways._ In the span of an hour and a half, Veronica finished all her homework and only had to answer the office phone twice.

She was putting away her school stuff when her phone beeped. A new text message.

5:42 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _Hey supafly. Wanna do somethin 2night?_

5:43 To Wallace From Veronica:

 _Can't. Have plans._

5:43 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _So Logan huh?_

Laughing, Veronica replied to Wallace's text. _He always knows what's going on doesn't he._

5:44 To Wallace From Veronica:

 _Yes._

5:45 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _U better 'splain 2moro & he better behave!_

5:45 To Wallace From Veronica:

 _Yeah ok. C u 2moro. Bye. Gotta get ready._

5:46 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _Hav fun supafly. C u._

Veronica quickly grabbed all of her things and headed out of Mars Investigations. "See you at home dad!" Veronica yelled in her father's direction as she left.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 **Chapter Word Count** : 1,462

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

* * *

 _Oh my God Veronica! You're just going to eat at the beach with Logan! It's not like it's some fancy date! Pull yourself together!_ When Veronica got home, she went straight to the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she stood in front of her closet, wrapped in her towel, and spent the next twenty minutes trying on various outfits, trying to decide which one to wear on her date with Logan. _Okay, calm down. Shit! It's already 6:37!_ Taking a deep breath, Veronica tried to calm herself down. _Why am I so nervous? It's just Logan._ After another few minutes, Veronica finally decided to wear a red blouse with her dark jean skirt and some sandals. _6:45._ Veronica quickly did her makeup, and just as she was putting on the final touches, there was a knock on the front door.

"Honey, you're gentleman caller is here!" Her dad yelled from the living room.

"I'll be out in a minute!" She yelled back. She had left her bedroom door ajar after she changed into her outfit. She couldn't quite hear what was going on in the living room between Logan and her dad. All she could hear were the murmurs of conversation.

While Veronica finished getting ready, Logan and Keith stood in the living room.

"Logan." Keith said, gesturing for Logan to take a seat on the couch as he did the same.

"Mr. Mars." Logan replied nervously as he sat down.

"So. What are your plans tonight?" Keith asked.

"Uh, dinner and the beach." Logan coughed nervously but tried not to show how nervous he actually was. _Jeez, Ronnie. What's taking you so long?_

"And what time are you going to have her back home?" Keith asked, staring Logan down. He could tell he was making the young man nervous. He couldn't help but laugh in his head about that.

"Oh, uh, no later than 11:30," Logan said.

"Good. Now, Logan. I'm sure Veronica's mentioned this to you, but I want to make myself clear." Shifting in his seat, Keith leaned a bit towards Logan. "If you hurt her, in any way at all, oh Logan, you'll be hurting a million times worse. I haven't needed to use my gun collection in quite some time. Now you don't want to be the reason I do, do you?" Logan's eyes widened noticeably. Keith mentally smiled at that. _Poor kid. I've really got him scared. Though honestly, it's not like I'm being entirely serious about using a gun on him._ Keith shook his head subtly and leaned in a bit closer towards Logan. "And trust me when I say this: they won't find your body." Keith told him in a menacingly calm tone. _Perfect way to end that._ Keith found this all entirely funny. Logan looked so frightened and nervous, Keith almost felt bad about saying these things to him. He had to understand, though. Veronica meant the world to Keith. If Logan did anything to hurt his little girl, he will regret it.

Logan couldn't tell if Keith was just joking or not. He knew how much Veronica's father loved her. He also knew they would do anything for each other. He only hoped her dad wasn't actually serious about bodily harm. _Or about using his gun collection._ _God help me_. Logan swallowed nervously and just stared at Keith.

"Okay, I'm ready," Veronica said as she entered the living room.

Logan sighed in relief before he turned towards Veronica. _Wow she looks amazing!_ Both he and Keith stood up. Logan walked over to Veronica, with a smile on his face.

"Hey," he said, smile still in place. "You look great."

"Thanks." Veronica smiled at him and then turned to her dad. "We'll be back later." She kissed him on the cheek, grabbed Logan's hand and led him out the door as she called out, "Bye dad!"

"Have fun. But not too much fun!" Keith yelled out as the door closed. Keith sighed as he shook his head. _Kid better behave._

When they were outside, Veronica asked, "So how did it go? The little talk with my dad."

"Oh, you mean the questioning and threat I received? Well that just went peachy." Logan answered, letting out a sigh.

"Don't worry. He didn't really mean it." After Logan's sigh of relief, she added, "Well not entirely." At Logan's slightly scared look on his face, Veronica laughed.

"Well, I'm glad my potential doom humors you." Logan said as Veronica settled down.

They arrived at Logan's X-Terra and Logan opened Veronica's door. However, before she could get inside, Logan twirled her around and gently pushed her against the side of his car as he kissed her. Immediately Veronica's arms went around his neck pulling him closer as Logan had one hand cupping the left side of her face and the other on her lower back, bringing her closer as well.

They parted after a few minutes. "Well, hello to you too." Veronica laughed softly, resting her forehead against his.

Smiling, Logan replied, "Yeah. I wanted to properly greet you without your dad present."

"Well it's a good thing we're down here. Where he can't see us at all. You know, unless he's got cameras around." Veronica whispered.

Logan's eyebrows shot up and he opened and closed his mouth a few times. He quickly looked around them. When he turned to look back at Veronica, she was grinning hugely at him, clearly trying to keep from laughing out loud. It was then he realized she was just playing with him.

"Oh, you think you're so funny, don't you?" He glared playfully at her.

"Yes. Yes I do." Veronica said, smiling cheekily up at him pulling him down for a quick kiss. "Come on. Let's get going before my dad decides to come outside and then wonder why we haven't left yet."

"Yeah, you're right." Logan said as he closed the car door after she got in. He walked around the car and got into his seat, put on his seatbelt and turned on the car. As he began driving on the road, Logan said, "So I called Luigi's in advance. I'll just run inside and pick up our food so we can head to the beach."

"Okay. And you didn't forget the-"

"No, I didn't forget your favorite dessert from Luigi's." He said, turning to smile at her when he stopped at a red light.

Smiling back she said, "Okay, good." She laughed softly. "And where exactly are we going to eat this food?"

"Park close to the beach. Open the back so we can sit and eat. I have blankets and stuff to make it more comfortable." He said, smirking and winking at her.

"Ah ha. And he shows his true colors." Veronica said, smirking back. Logan simply laughed at that and drove off when the light turned green.

When they arrived at Luigi's, Logan went inside and returned with their food in a few minutes. They were halfway to the beach, when Logan's phone rang.

"Hello."

"Duuuuude! What are you doing man!? Come over and party!" Dick said, slurring his words clearly drunk.

"I'm busy right now Dick." Logan replied, frustrated. Glancing over at Veronica he gave her an apologetic smile to which she smiled back.

"Dude! Forget 'bout Ronnie! I got so many smokin' chicks here!"

"Yeah, well good for you man. Goodbye Dick." Logan sighed, hanging up his phone and throwing it into the car's cup holder, without waiting for a response from Dick.

"Everything okay?" Veronica asked, noticing how annoyed Logan was.

"Yeah," Logan sighed. "It was just Dick being Dick, you know." He said, grinning a little as he looked at her.

"Yeah," Veronica said softly, nodding a little as she did so.

About a minute later Logan parked the X-Terra right on the beach. "Hey, hold on. I'll come around." He said when he saw Veronica about to open her door. She smiled at that and waited for him.

"Miss Mars," Logan said, holding out his hand for Veronica to take after opening the car door.

"Why thank you kind sir," Veronica smiled as she took his hand and let him lead her to the back of the X-Terra.

Logan opened up the back of the car and placed the bag of food inside. Like he had mentioned earlier, there were blankets covering the floor of the car and pillows around the edges to make eating more comfortable. _Wow. This looks pretty nice_.

After helping her inside, Logan sat next to her, as close as he could with the bag of food between them. He took out the packages of food from the bag and passed Veronica her container before grabbing his.

"Bon apetite," he said.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

 **Chapter Word Count** : 1,827

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

* * *

They ate their food in comfortable silence or while making small talk. Even though they had spent a good part of the last year fighting and hating each other, in that moment, they felt as though the whole year never happened and they were how they were supposed to be.

"Mmmm, " Veronica said as she ate her dessert. "This is so good." Logan smiled, watching her eat in amusement. She was about to take another bite when she noticed him. "What?" She asked, grinning.

Shrugging, he answered her, smirk in place. "Oh nothing. It's just amazing how you eat so much and yet are still so tiny."

Veronica glared at him and smacked his arm playfully. "Hey, I'm serious! Where does it all go?" Logan continued. Veronica just shook her head and laughed with him.

~~LoVe~~

After finishing their dinner, they sat next to each other for a while. Neither of them said anything. They simply stared out ahead of them, watching the waves crash onto the shore of the beach, both thinking about what was happening between them. After a couple more minutes, Logan broke their silence.

"Wanna take a walk?" He asked, a bit unsure and nervous. _Why am I so nervous again? It's just Ronnie. We used to be close friends. This shouldn't be so nerve wracking._

"Sure," Veronica said, getting out from the back of the X-Terra. She turned to face Logan, who still sat inside. Smiling, he followed suit. Veronica smiled back. Taking her hand in his, Logan closed the back of the car and then led Veronica down the beach. Walking hand in hand, they'd bump into each other every few steps. It wasn't annoying or bothersome though.

"So, how was your day today?" Logan asked.

"Hmmm. Quite uneventful actually. I solved the supposed bomb threat case though." Veronica said, looking up at him as she did.

"Oooh, do tell. Who is it?"

"Norris Clayton's neighbor. Jeff. Apparently, he's had a grudge against him for things Norris did to him back in middle school. He used the Claytons' wireless internet connection to create the fake countdown clock and emails with 'red flag words'."

"So that's it. You solved the case. Everyone's happy." Logan smiled.

"Well, not entirely. Our federal agent friend Ben arrested Norris today."

"Why? You said it wasn't him."

"It wasn't him. Ben planted all the evidence in Norris's car. And he used me to do it." Logan gave her a look that was a mixture of anger and confusion. "Relax. He just wanted me to talk with Norris and try to find anything in his house that would lead to an arrest. I found nothing. But Ben used that time to put the stuff in the trunk of Norris's car. I have pictures of Ben buying the stuff, so I can get Norris off the hook." Veronica smiled as Logan nodded.

"And what about you? How was your day?" Veronica asked, bumping his shoulder lightly with her own as they continued to walk down the beach. There were few people around. Some were having a small bonfire party farther down the beach. Veronica and Logan were walking closer to the water, far enough away to not get splashed with an incoming wave.

"Oh, you know. The usual," he said. After a brief pause, he continued. "At first, my 'friends' were looking at me weird, but for some reason when Dick started acting like the normal one, they all did too."

"Dick? Normal?" Veronica joked with an look of disbelief on her face.

"Yeah, I know right." Logan laughed. "But then after that it was a pretty uneventful day for me too."

They continued walking until they came across some rocks. Veronica had been leaning on Logan, her head on his shoulder, when Logan gently pulled her towards the rocks. Logan climbed up to the top and then leaned down to help Veronica up. She was about to get to the top when Logan pulled her up. He'd pulled her up with so much force that she landed on top of him.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" Logan asked, smiling.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Veronica laughed. Her laughter was infectious, and Logan couldn't help but laugh with her. _She looks so beautiful smiling and laughing_. As Veronica moved to get off of him, Logan put a hand to the side of her face, stopping her movement. They stared into each other's eyes, Logan stroking her cheek with his thumb, and Veronica's hands on either side of Logan's head.

"You look beautiful," Logan whispered as he pulled Veronica down for a kiss. It was gentle and slow. They pulled apart for a second, but came together again almost immediately. This time, the kiss was more heated and passionate. Veronica lay comfortably on top of Logan, straddling him, her hands moving to cup his face. Logan's right arm that was wrapped around her waist started to move across her back, while his left hand moved from her cheek to her hair, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss. Logan sat up, with Veronica straddling him. They broke the kiss, panting and gasping for air. Resting their foreheads together, Logan's arms wrapped around her waist as Veronica rested her hands on his shoulders. Logan gave her another short, but deep, kiss before pulling back from her slightly, so he could see her face.

"So I was thinking-" Logan began.

"Oh no, this can't be good," Veronica joked, smirking at him.

"Ha ha. You're so funny," Logan said, tapping her nose with his finger. She smiled. "As I was saying. I was thinking earlier, about the people we were gonna tell about us. I was going to tell Duncan myself, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to tell him with me, or..." He trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

Veronica looked at him, thoughtful for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We can tell him before school tomorrow if you want."

"Sounds like a plan." Logan sighed. "I was also thinking maybe we could go out early in the morning for breakfast?" He asked, almost shyly.

"I'd love that." Veronica smiled and nodded, before giving what she intended to be a peck on the lips. However, when she was going to pull away, Logan brought his right hand to her hair to hold her there, deepening the kiss. Veronica sighed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, and her hands through his hair.

They spent the good part of the next hour making out on top of the rocks. They were too wrapped up in each other to notice anything else. They didn't notice that more people had come to the bonfire party that was going on only about fifty feet away from them. They eventually pulled away from each other when the noise and music grew louder.

"You wanna head back?" Logan asked.

"Sure," Veronica said as she moved down off the rocks. They were walking hand in hand back towards Logan's X-Terra, when Logan's phone rang.

"Hello," he answered, without checking the caller ID.

"Where the hell are you Logan!" Aaron yelled.

Logan winced at his voice. _Dammit. I hope Veronica didn't hear that._ Logan glanced over at her. She was looking at him with a curious, worried expression. Logan sighed.

"I told you earlier. I'm on a date with Veronica, remember," Logan replied as calm as he could. He didn't want to show how angry and irritated he was at his father with Veronica around. He knew she'd pick it up and wonder what was going on.

Logan didn't hear a response from the other side of the call. He was about to check to see if the call was still connected, when Aaron spoke. "Oh. Right." Then after another moment, he added. "Never mind." Then he hung up. Logan looked at his phone oddly. _That was weird._

Veronica had watched Logan during his phone conversation, trying to listen in after first hearing the yelling from the other end of the call. _Who was that?_ When they reached the X-Terra, Veronica decided to ask him about it.

"Who was that on the phone?" She asked him as she got into the passenger seat.

"My dad." Logan said as he closed her door. _Oh_.

The drive back to Veronica's apartment was silent. Both of the car's occupants were thinking too much. Veronica thought about what could be going on between Logan and his dad. _Sure, his dad could be mad and yelled at him for something he did or forgot to do, but that just sounded worse._ Logan thought about what could be possibly waiting for him at home and how to answer the questions Veronica was sure to ask him. _I hope daddy dearest is passed out by the time I get home. I really don't want to have to deal with him tonight._

Logan parked the car and was about to reach the door to get out when Veronica grabbed his hand, stopping him. "Are you okay?" She asked him. She was looking at him, trying to read his expressions.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Logan answered nonchalantly.

"I just... I heard your dad yell at you right when you answered your phone..." She trailed off.

Logan looked down at their entwined hands, her thumb rubbing the back of his hand. He smiled softly. _Maybe she actually cares?_ Looking back up at her, he could see her face full of concern. He smiled. "It's okay. I can deal with my dad. You don't have to worry."

Veronica looked at him for a moment, searching his eyes. She eventually nodded and smiled. "Okay." She leaned over to kiss him, her right hand on his cheek. He kissed her back, bringing his left hand up to her shoulder. They kissed for a few minutes before Veronica pulled away. "I should probably get going."

Nodding, Logan whispered, "Yeah," before leaning in to kiss her again a few more times.

This time, when Veronica pulled away, she moved her hand from his cheek to his chest. "Okay. For real this time."

"Okay," Logan nodded, smiling. They got out of the car and Logan walked her to their apartment door. "Would you look at that: 11:23 pm," he said looking at his watch.

"Right on time," Veronica commented as they stood facing each other. "So, I'll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast," she said, stepping closer to wrap her arms around his waist. Logan wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Yes you will," he said leaning down to kiss her again. After a few minutes, they pulled apart and said their goodbyes. Veronica watched Logan walk away before going into the apartment. _Wow._ She smiled to herself all the way to her room. She changed out of her clothes and laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, smile still in place.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,285

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hi guys! So here's the next chapter! Sorry it's been kind of a while since the last update. One. Whole. Week. Whatevs. This chapter is longer than previous ones. Like twice as long as the average.

Anywho, I have a question for y'all. When I first started writing this story, I also had like five other stories in mind to write as well. This one came easier to me so it's something I want to finish before I post a new story. But I've sort of started writing the others too. What I want to know is: Would you guys want to read a fic set in _Clash of the Tritons_ , where there's the CEO of a record label in the audience during "One Way or Another" and practically gives Veronica a record deal? Veronica would become an O9er in her own right and whatnot. Of course it'd be a LoVe story at some point too.

So what do you guys think? Would you read it? Please leave an answer in a review if you can!

Now, on with the story!

* * *

Veronica woke up early the next morning, eager to have breakfast with Logan. She was feeling a little giddy. _Last night went great._ Once she was done getting ready, she grabbed her bag and her cell phone and made her way to the living room. She was about to call Logan to see where he was when there was a knock on the door. _Wow, that boy sure is punctual these days._ Sure enough, when she opened the door, standing on the other side was Logan.

"Good morning," he said, leaning down to kiss her. They pulled apart grinning.

"Morning," Veronica said, before turning to grab her things. Once she had her stuff, she joined Logan outside, locking the apartment door behind her.

They made their way down to Logan's X-Terra hand in hand. "So where are you taking me for breakfast?" Veronica asked.

"Does it really matter where as long as you get your pancakes and bacon?" Logan replied. Veronica just gave him a look. Sighing, he said, "Okay, okay. We're going to iHop."

"Now was that so hard?" Veronica giggled. Instead of replying to her, Logan just shook his head, smiling, as he drove out of the apartment complex parking lot. He sat in his seat awkwardly, his back not touching the seat. _Why is he sitting like that? All straight up and stiff?_ "Hey, are you okay?" Veronica asked, concerned.

Logan glanced over at her. He knew she must've noticed the way he was sitting in his seat. _Dammit. Why does she have to be so perceptive?_ He'd arrived home last night happy. His date with Veronica had gone _so_ well. Logan had gone straight for the stairs to go to bed, forgetting that his dad had yelled at him earlier on the phone for who knows what. He was halfway to the stairs when his dad had come out of his study, angry look on his face. Logan couldn't remember why Aaron was so angry, but he did remember the beating he got. Lash after lash to his back. _No cigarette burns this time, thank God._ He hadn't seen Aaron since the beating and for that he was glad.

The pain wasn't as bad as it could've been. After the beating, Logan had cleaned himself up as much as he could. He knew if he moved or touched his back too much, the wounds would start to bleed. He never wanted that to happen, especially now that he has Veronica around him. _If she sees, how the hell am I really going to explain it without her seeing through my lies?_ Before Logan left to pick up Veronica this morning, he stuffed bandages, pain pills, and an extra two shirts into his backpack in case something happens.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Logan stared straight ahead. _Gotta keep an eye on the road._ "Why do you ask?" He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. He hoped he could convince Veronica he was fine when he really wasn't. _If I don't look at her, she won't be able to tell._ Logan mentally sighed. _Of course, if I don't look at her she'll know something's up. Shit._

"You're just... You're kinda acting strange." Veronica watched him pensively. _He says he's fine, but something's off._

"Hmmmm," Logan leaned back carefully, so as not to hurt his back further. "You sure it's not you?" He joked, hoping she'll take the hint and leave it alone.

"Oh, I know it's not me." Veronica smiled. _I'll ask him about it some other time then._ She tilted her head slightly at him. "Having a yellow banana for a car, though. Now that's pretty strange," she said, shaking her head slightly, smirk in place.

Logan laughed and shook his head at her. "Hey, don't go insulting my baby just because you're jealous."

"It's cute that you think I'd be jealous of such a thing," Veronica said, laughing at him.

"And I am cute," Logan said, winking at her. Veronica giggled, shaking her head at him. _He's such a dork._ Veronica turned to look out the window and sighed. _But such a cute dork._

They arrived at iHop a few minutes later. "Hold on. I'll come around," Logan said before getting out of the car. Veronica let out a slightly frustrated sigh. _I can open my own door thank you very much._

"You know, Logan. I do know how to open a door and get out of a car on my own," she told him once he shut the door.

"Hey, it's called being a gentleman," he smirked. Laughing, Veronica shook her head at him. Putting his arm around her shoulders, Logan started walking them towards the restaurant entrance.

The restaurant was fairly empty when they walked in. Only a few people were up this early for breakfast. They were seated right away at a booth by the window. The waitress handed them their menus as soon as they sat down.

"What would you two like to drink?" She asked the pair. Veronica couldn't help but notice the suggestive looks the waitress kept giving Logan. Of course he hadn't noticed. He was looking over the menu.

"Coffee," he replied, still looking at the menu. The waitress wrote it down and then turned to Veronica, a look of annoyance on her face.

"Coffee," Veronica said. The waitress left to get their drinks. Veronica rolled her eyes at her retreating form. _Well, wasn't she just lovely._ Once she was gone Logan finally looked up from his menu, but now Veronica was the one looking down at her's.

"You know," he started, and Veronica looked up, "I get that a lot," he finished, smirking.

Veronica looked back down at her menu. "Get what a lot?" she asked absently.

"People getting the same thing as me, just because I'm me," he answered.

"Oh, they do, do they?" Veronica said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup. So, it's okay Veronica. You don't have to be embarrassed about ordering the same thing as me," he smirked, looking down at his menu again.

Veronica sat there with her mouth slightly hanging open. She closed her mouth and sat up straighter in her seat. Shaking her head, she said, "You are so full of yourself, you know that?"

Logan looked up from his menu. "Yes," he smirked. He knew she'd say something along those lines. That was the whole point of his remark. _She's so cute when she's like this_. Veronica just rolled her eyes at him and was going to say something when the waitress returned with their coffees.

"Are you guys ready to order?" she asked. Again, she gave Logan suggestive looks. _This waitress is getting on my last nerves, and we haven't even ordered yet._ Veronica let out a quiet sigh.

"Yes. I'd like the New York Cheesecake Pancakes," Veronica said.

"And I'll have the Strawberry Banana Pancakes," Logan replied. The waitress wrote down their orders, took their menus, and left. Logan and Veronica added the milk and sugar to their coffees and took a few sips.

"So yesterday I was thinking about what we're going to say to Duncan," Veronica began. Logan nodded at her, so she could continue. "I think we should just tell him right off the bat. No beating around the bush or anything."

"Be straight forward," Logan nodded. "I have to say, though. He's my best friend and your ex. I'm a little worried and nervous about what he'll say and do."

Before Veronica can add to the conversation, the waitress brings them their food and the two dig in. However, after taking one bite, Veronica's cell phone begins to ring. _Wallace._

"Hello," she says. Logan looks at her with raised eyebrows. She just gives him a small smile.

"Hey girl."

"What's up Wallace?"

"Oh, you know, just eating breakfast… that your dad brought."

Veronica's eyebrows shoot up. "What?!" she exclaims. Logan looks at her questioningly, but she's too distracted by what Wallace is telling her to notice.

"Yeah, V. He was here when I got up. He says he came over early to talk to my mom. He brought us all breakfast, but I don't know. It didn't exactly look like he'd only come in this morning. If you know what I mean." Wallace said, mumbling the last part.

"Oh my god, Wallace, you do realize what happened right? He stayed the night." Veronica said, looking up at Logan, who was now very interested in the conversation. She finally realized that she hadn't seen her father last night when she'd come home from her date with Logan. _Damn! How could I have not realized that?_

"Oh- he- no-…" Wallace sighed. "Jeez Veronica. That is- That's just…"

"Weird?"

"Yeah," Wallace heaves a heavy sigh. "So, V. How was your date last night, huh?" Wallace teases.

"It was good." Veronica smiles, blushing slightly, glancing over at Logan.

"Mhmm. Okay. Well, I'll see you at school then. Bye, V."

"Okay, bye Wallace." Veronica says, hanging up her phone. When she looks up at Logan, he has an expectant look on his face. "What?" she asks innocently, smiling.

"You gonna tell me what that was all about, or am I gonna have to guess?" he asks, smirking.

"That was Wallace."

"Yeah, I gathered that much." Logan looks at her expectantly still. Veronica smiles innocently at him. He smiles back and raises his eyebrows.

Veronica rolls her eyes at him and sighs. "Okay fine. So, my dad and Wallace's mom have been dating and apparently he stayed over last night."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's been the weirdest thing seeing them like that," Veronica says. The waitress brings them the check and they get up to leave. After paying, they go out to the X-Terra. Before opening her door, Logan twirls Veronica around by the hand, both giggling. He then brings her closer and leans down to kiss her. It was intended to be a short, soft kiss, but turns into a short make-out session. Veronica's arms are around Logan's neck as his arms are wrapped around her waist, hands caressing her lower back.

"Just thought I'd get one more in, you know, in case something happens to me after out talk with the Donut," Logan smirks after the kiss is over.

Smiling up at him, Veronica shake her head slightly. "Nothing is going to happen, okay? It's going to be fine." Veronica pulls away from the embrace. "Now, let's go," she says as she opens the car door and gets in. Logan closes it for her and walks over to the other side, getting in his seat, and turns on the car. Logan sighs as he pulls out of the parking lot, beginning the drive to the Kane's mansion.

~~LoVe~~

When they arrive at the Kane mansion, only Duncan's car is visible in the driveway. Both Logan and Veronica are glad that neither Celeste or Jake are home. Logan parks the car and they simply sit there, staring at the mansion's door.

After a moment, Logan turns to Veronica. He takes in a deep breath and asks, "You ready?"

Turning to look at Logan, she says, "Yeah." Nodding, Logan gets out and goes to open her door. They share a small nervous smile, before Veronica takes his hand and they walk over to the front door. They ring the doorbell and wait for someone to answer. After almost two minutes of waiting, they get ready to leave, but then the door opens.

"What are you guys doing here?" Duncan asks. He notices their entwined hands and immediately gets an angry look on his face. "What's going on here?" He asks, stepping outside. He closes the door and puts his backpack by the door.

"Veronica and I have something to tell you," Logan tells him, stepping a bit in front of Veronica.

"Oh you do, do you?" Duncan asks. "And what's that? Are you two dating?" Duncan laughs bitterly. "Because I have to say, that is so wrong."

"You know what Duncan? We came here so you heard it from us and not from someone at school, because you're our friend. But if you're just going to act like an asshole, then I don't know what we were thinking." Veronica says, taking a step forward.

Duncan ignores what Veronica says, and looks at Logan. "So what? You got bored and now you're after my girlfriend? What happened to you hating each other, huh?" Duncan says, angry, as he gets in Logan's face and shoves him back. Before Logan can respond, Veronica gets in between.

"Did you fall and hit your head again Duncan? Because you broke up with me remember? And what about Meg? Your girlfriend!" Veronica steps forward, pushing Duncan back. This snaps Duncan out of whatever angry state he was in, because he looks at Veronica with a confused look on his face. He shakes his head slightly and takes a step back.

Grabbing his backpack, Duncan says, "Whatever," before he practically runs to his car and leaves. Both Logan and Veronica watch, confused, as he drives away, mouths agape.

"Well that went well," Veronica says.

"What was that?" Logan asks to nobody in particular.

Veronica shakes her head. "I'm not sure."

"Do you think it's because of that epilepsy that he has?" Logan asks, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Maybe." Veronica turns to face Logan. "Ready for school?"

"I guess." Logan sighs. He looks down at Veronica, odd expression on his face.

"What?" Veronica asks, tilting her head curiously.

"I don't know, It's just-" Logan takes a deep breath before continuing. "It looked like he still has feelings for you and all."

Veronica shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. That ship has sailed. It's been a year and he's been dating Meg for a while now. I've gotten passed it. I've moved on. Honestly, I've realized he doesn't really even deserve to act like that."

Logan nods his head. He holds Veronica tighter and kisses the top of her head. Veronica wraps an arm around his waist and leans into his embrace. Logan winces slightly at the pressure to his back. Veronica notices this and was going to comment on it, but before she could get a sound out, Logan leads them back to the car. "I guess it's off to hell now then," Logan says as they walk back to his car.

Veronica sighs. _Okay. Something is definitely off. He was totally fine last night. He's obviously hurt. And bullshit if he says he got into an accident. No way was there that much time between last night and this morning for some 'accident'._ Veronica sighs again as she gets into the car. _I'll bring it up later today._ For now, she'd have to focus on other things, like school.

The drive to school was tense. They were both nervous about what the school's reaction will be to them dating. They told themselves that they don't care about their opinions, but they're nervous nonetheless.

Pulling into Neptune High's parking lot, there aren't many people yet. Only a few cars are parked in the lot. _Well at least we won't be facing everyone at once right away._ They get out of the car. Nobody's noticed them yet.

"Showtime," Logan says, grabbing Veronica's hand. Smiling, she lets him lead her towards the school's entrance. As they walk, the few people around begin to notice. Whispers can be heard. Phones are taken out, pictures taken, text messages sent.

"Looks like the whole school will know before first period," Veronica says. Logan squeezes her hand in response.

They reach Veronica's locker first, and by then everyone in the hallways stare openly at them.

"Seen any of your friends yet?" Veronica asks, opening her locker. Logan leans on the lockers next to her.

He laughs. "Come on Veronica. Like they're gonna get here this early." Veronica nodded. _True._ She grabbed her books and was putting them in her bag when Wallace came up to them.

"Hey V," he smiled at Veronica. "Logan." Wallace nodded to Logan, hesitantly. Veronica smiled at him in amusement.

"Wallace," Logan said, putting his hand out for Wallace to shake. Wallace looked at Logan's hand, then to Logan's face, and back to his hand before finally shaking it. Next to them, Veronica watched this little exchange, still amused.

Turning back to Veronica, Wallace tells her, "I gotta say, this is weird." Veronica raises an eyebrow in response as Logan puts an arm around her shoulders and she wraps an arm around his waist. "Yeah, definitely weird," Wallace mumbles as he looks away for a moment. "It's almost as weird as our parents, man."

"Well, I only have one thing to say about that," Veronica says.

"Oh yeah? Only one? And what's that?" Wallace asks.

"I get top bunk." Veronica smiles. Wallace shakes his head, as if he can't even imagine such a situation, but walks away with a small smile on his face.

"He's pretty cool. That Wallace," Logan says. Veronica turns to look at him, amused.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," she jokes. They walk over to Logan's locker next. When they get there, Dick and Beaver are just entering the school and the brothers immediately make their way to them. _Great, I have to deal with Dick this early in the day._ Logan feels Veronica tense up at the sight of his friends by his locker, so he squeezes and rubs her shoulder in reassurance.

"Yo, Logan!" Dick yells across the hallway.

"Dick. Beaver." Logan says, giving Dick and Beaver a look, when he and Veronica get to his locker.

"Ronnie," Dick says, before turning to Logan, asking him about having a surf trip in Mexico that weekend.

"Veronica," Beaver says.

"Dick. Beaver." Veronica replies.

"Uh, it's Cassidy," Beaver says, shyly.

Veronica nods. "Cassidy."

"So, Ronnie, how long have you had a thing for Logan, huh? Finally gonna let out all that sexual frustration?" Dick jokes.

Veronica is about to respond with a comeback, but Logan steps towards Dick. "Enough Dick. You remember our little conversation yesterday, right?" he says in a calm, but threatening, voice.

Dick looks at Logan confused at first, but after a moment, realization dawns on him. He looks from Logan to Veronica, slightly scared expression on his face, before shaking his head and walking away, dragging Beaver with him. "Whatever, man."

"Sorry about Dick."

"Hey, you don't have to apologize for him. You don't have control over him. Besides, Dick is and always has been a dick." Veronica smiles. Nodding, Logan shuts his locker and pulls her down the hallway with him. People continue to stare at the new couple, whispering and pointing. Both of them ignore it all, being used to the gossip already.

They are about to turn down another hallway, when they're stopped by the most annoying voice either of them has ever heard. "So it's true. Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars. Well, girls, it looks like Logan's downgraded and so desperate, he'd go out with that trash," Madison says to her little posse, made up of Shelley Pomroy, Carrie Bishop, and Susan Knight.

The couple ignore Madison's comment and walk passed them, leaving Madison angry and annoyed that they'd ignored her so easily. She huffs away, leaving the other girls to follow.

The bell rings and everyone moves to get to class. Logan walks Veronica to class, like any other boyfriend would. When they get there, he kisses her deeply but quickly. He walks away with a small wave, smiles on both their faces. If anyone around them had any doubts the two were really dating, they had confirmation now. The kiss the two shared just now, left most even more shocked.

* * *

 **A/N** : So what did you guys think of this chapter? What did you guys think of how I wrote in Logan's abuse? The reveal to Duncan? I know Duncan's reaction to LoVe dating is pretty short, but that's just how it came out when I wrote this chapter. Oh well, it's just the Donut. (Pretty sure you can see what my opinion on Duncan is, huh.)

Please review! I know I haven't responded to any of the reviews left, because honestly it'd just be a lot of "Thanks SO much! I'm SUPER glad you like the story so far!" And it's true. Guys, thank you SO SO SOOOO much for reading this story, leaving reviews, and just being awesome! Every time I get an email telling me someone reviewed, I get so giddy. No lie! I love it. It's so cool knowing other people read my stuff and like it. :)

Peace and Blessings! Until the next update! :P


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

 **Chapter Word Count** : 2,276

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. It's shorter than Chapter 7, but it's longer than the others were! :D

I'm glad so many of you like my idea for a new story! I already have like three chapters written. It will be called 'Catch My Breath' (after the Kelly Clarkson song). But I won't be posting any of it anytime soon. Sorry! I want this story to be close to finished before I start posting the new one. I don't want to fall behind. So in the meantime, my main focus will be on writing this story and whenever I have other free time, I'll write more of the new one.

Anyways, enjoy! (I hope) :P

* * *

The first couple classes went pretty quickly. Both Veronica and Logan were watched. Their peers continued to whisper about them. When lunch came, things had seemed to die down a bit. Veronica and Wallace were at their lockers, putting away their books.

"So, Wallace. Tell me, what exactly did my dad say when you saw him this morning?" Veronica asked as the two walked out of the school and into the quad, towards their usual lunch table.

"He said 'Good morning Wallace. I brought breakfast.'" Wallace sighed. "It was so weird, V." They sat down at their table, Wallace to the left of Veronica. Wallace took out a sandwich and Veronica took out an apple.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again. I get top bunk!" Veronica joked.

"So, where's your boy?" Wallace asked, taking a bite from his sandwich.

"Right here," Logan said, coming up behind them. "You guys didn't start lunch without me did you?" He said, setting down a box of pizza as he sat next to Veronica, taking out a couple of sodas from his backpack for them. Putting his arm around her shoulder, he kisses Veronica's cheek to which she smiled at him.

"Hmmm, you know V, I wasn't so sure about him before, but I guess he's okay now," Wallace said, grabbing two slices of pizza.

Veronica shook her head at Wallace before grabbing a slice herself. "If he brings us lunch like this everyday, even I'll be his best friend!" Wallace added, joking.

Veronica and Logan laughed at Wallace as he then scarfed down the two slices of pizza he just grabbed. As Veronica ate her slice, she noticed Logan staring off into space. _He's acting weird again_. "Aren't you gonna eat?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow in question.

Veronica's voice snapped Logan out of whatever thoughts he was in. Turning to look at her he smiled. "Yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking," he said as he grabbed a slice for himself.

"Uh oh," Veronica commented, jokingly. Logan simply shook his head slightly and smirked at her.

"Hey, did you guys hear about Duncan?" Wallace asked, grabbing another slice of pizza.

Logan and Veronica shared a look. "No. What happened?" Veronica asked.

"I heard from the guys on the team that he came to school, but halfway through second period he stormed off. He just up and left during class. Nobody's seen or heard from him since then." Wallace looked at the pair. Both Logan and Veronica stared at Wallace, eyes wide, faces stricken with emotions; shock, confusion, nervousness, frustration. Neither of them said anything, so Wallace continued. "You think maybe it has something to do with you guys?" he asked, pointing at the two of them.

Veronica's eyebrows furrowed. _Duncan broke up with me and ignored me for a year. He hardly ever talks to me in class. I don't care what it is, he doesn't have the right to act this way, especially since he's got Meg now._

"Who knows, Wallace," Logan said, glancing over at Veronica, who was staring intently at the pizza in the center of the table. "Duncan hasn't been the same since Lilly. I honestly don't know what to do about him anymore. He's my best friend. His reason for storming off can be one of many things."

Veronica finally looked up a moment after Logan finished talking. "Yeah, maybe," she softly said. The three of them ate in silence for a while. Wallace eventually brought up the topic of his mom and Veronica's dad again, and the previous conversation was forgotten.

The three of them continued to talk and eat their lunch for only about ten more minutes until they were interrupted. Usually the quad was full of noise, people talking and laughing, but suddenly everyone got quiet. The conversations amongst most of the students were about the new relationship between Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars, however these conversations died down as Weevil walked into the quad, headed straight for Veronica's table.

Wallace would have stayed to support his BFF, but one of his basketball teammates called him over because their coach had called for a meeting. He left before Weevil reached the lunch table, giving Veronica an apologetic smile to which she nodded and smiled in understanding.

As Weevil got closer, Veronica felt Logan's arm around her shoulders hold her closer to him. She placed a hand on his thigh. His hold loosened a bit and he rubbed her shoulder in response.

Weevil looked angry and annoyed, and he stared at Logan with narrowed eyes the entire walk over to the table. Logan held his stare, looking equally annoyed.

"So it's true then, huh?" Weevil said when he reached the table, some of his gang friends a few steps behind him. "You know, I thought you were smarter than that, V."

Veronica didn't respond. She just looked at Weevil, eyes slightly narrowed and eyebrow raised in challenge. Logan, however, didn't keep quiet. "You don't know shit, Weevil."

 _And this day started so well. Well, except for when Logan and I talked to Duncan. That was just- well, badly weird._ Veronica stopped paying attention to the exchange between Logan and Weevil. _Jeez, could these two be any more annoying right now._ Veronica was snapped out of her thoughts when Logan let go of her and stood up. Logan and Weevil looked ready for a fight, but Veronica didn't want either of them to get in trouble right now. _Dammit._

"Enough!" Veronica exclaimed, standing up from the table. "You're both acting like idiots right now," she said, looking from one to the other.

Both Weevil and Logan were looking at Veronica. They had turned towards her when she spoke. Now, before either of them could begin to explain anything, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The students around them slowly made their way back inside the school. Weevil and his boys were leaving, too.

"Weevil," Veronica called out. He stopped and turned. "I'll talk to you later." Weevil nodded and walked away.

Veronica sighed. She grabbed her bag and turned to Logan. "What?" he asked, trying to sound innocent. Veronica simply raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. Logan sighed. "Okay. Okay. So I don't like him," he said.

Veronica chuckled lightly. "Well anyone could see that." She turned and began to make her way inside the school taking Logan by the hand to follow.

"Hey," Logan began, stopping in front of his locker. "What was the 'I'll talk to you later' to Weevil about?" he asked, opening his locker.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Veronica said, leaning on the locker next to Logan's. At her words, Logan looked at her, slightly angry expression on his face. "Look Logan, Weevil's my friend, like it or not. Okay?"

Logan sighed. "Yes, I realize that. But honestly, you couldn't have found a friend who, I don't know, isn't the leader of a biker gang?" Logan closed his locker and turned to Veronica.

"Haven't you heard? Hanging around biker bars is where all the fun is at these days! I get the most attention there," Veronica joked. She almost burst out laughing at the look on Logan's face.

Veronica smiled at him. _It may be a bit annoying, him questioning my friendships. But it's actually kinda cute._ "Hey, come on. I'm kidding," she said, grabbing his hands. "Look, it's not like I hang out with Weevil or his biker buddies much. My friendship with Weevil is more business. He does favors for me when it comes to my cases and I help him out of jams. You don't have to worry."

Logan looked at her for a moment taking in what she said, then he nodded and sighed. "Yeah. Fine."

Veronica stepped closer, reaching up to give him a light peck on the lips. She was pulling back when Logan leaned in more, arms wrapping around her, holding her close. Veronica giggled lightly into the kiss, moving her hands up to wrap around his neck. Kissing each other slowly and deeply, tongues caressing the other, Veronica and Logan stood alone in the school hallway. It didn't stay that way for long, though.

The couple stopped the impromptu make out session at the sound of a throat clearing. They broke apart, turning away from each other to find Carmen standing a few feet away from them, holding a book and notebook to her chest.

"Veronica?" She asked, hesitantly, taking a few steps toward them.

"Carmen? Are you okay?" Veronica asked.

Carmen quickly glanced over at Logan before responding. "I need your help."

"Yeah sure. What do you need?" Carmen glanced over at Logan again, and Veronica quickly understood. "Uh, Logan could you give us a minute?" She asked.

Logan gave her a small smile and nodded. "Sure." He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Hey we only have so much school left. Why don't we ditch and go someplace else?" He whispered into her ear. Veronica gave him an incredulous look, slightly against the idea, but Logan gave her his puppy dog eyes and pout that she couldn't resist.

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. I'll meet you at your car." With that Logan gave her a small smile and another kiss on the cheek before heading out to the parking lot. Veronica turned back to Carmen. "Why don't we step into my office?" She asked with a smirk. Carmen gave her a confused look, so Veronica just pulled her towards the girls bathroom, hanging up the 'Out of Order' sign.

"So, what is it you need help with?" Veronica asked. Carmen told her about Tad and the video. How she wants to break up with him, but can't because if she does, Tad will send the video out to everyone. _I honestly can't believe how most of these guys act sometimes. This asshole's going down._

"Okay, do you think you can somehow get his phone from him before school's over?" Veronica asked, plan already forming.

Carmen took a moment to think before answering. "Yeah, I-I think so."

Veronica could tell Carmen wasn't too sure about it. "Send me a text on whether or not you get the phone." Veronica took out a piece of paper, wrote down her number, and handed it to Carmen. "If you can't then I'll get it tomorrow. But everything will be over sooner if you can get it today, okay." Carmen nodded, thanking Veronica for agreeing to help her.

Veronica and Carmen left the bathroom and went their separate ways. When Veronica arrived at Logan's car, he was leaning against the driver's side, fiddling with his phone. Veronica was a few feet away from him when he looked up, finally hearing her footsteps.

"Hey," Logan said, giving Veronica a kiss on the lips. "How'd it go?"

"Alright," she said. When Veronica didn't give anymore detail, Logan raised an eyebrow, wanting to know more. Veronica sighed. "She wants to break up with her boyfriend, but can't because of a video he has of her on his phone." Veronica began to walk towards the passenger side of the X-Terra. Logan followed.

"Who's her boyfriend?" Logan asked, opening the door for her.

"Tad Wilson," Veronica said, getting in the car.

Logan recognized the name. He knew how much of an asshole the guy is. Veronica noticed the look on his face. She was going to ask him what was on his mind, but he closed the passenger door and walked away, going around the car to get in the driver's seat.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Veronica asked, taking his hand in hers.

Logan looked up at her and gave her a small grin. "Sorry. It's just, I kinda know Tad. He's a huge asshole. I'm not surprised Carmen would want to break up with him." Veronica nodded. "Hey, listen. Uh, do you think, maybe, I could help?" He asked, hesitantly. Veronica tilted her head slightly. "It's just- like I said. Tad's not a cool person. So, you know, if I'm around, I'll have some peace of mind." Logan looked down at their entwined hands. _Wow, Logan. That was so smooth. Just spit it out in a way that makes complete sense next time._

Veronica couldn't help the smile that began to form on her face. _He looks so damn cute when he's nervous like this._ She squeezed his hand, leaning towards him. "Logan," she said, to get him to look at her. When he did, she continued. "I get that you want to help, and I honestly don't think anything bad can happen." Logan was going to cut in, but Veronica held up a finger to stop him. "I'll only ever have to talk to him at school, and I'm around you or Wallace all the time anyway." She sighed, glancing down at their entwined hands. Looking back up, she added. "But, okay. If it makes you feel better, you can help me on this case. I've got to talk to Carmen about this first, though. I don't want her to think that I'm gonna talk to just anyone about what's going on."

Logan nodded and smiled. "Okay, that's fine." He leaned in to kiss her before starting the car.

"So where are we off to?" Veronica asked, after a while.

"Hmmm. Well, Mrs. Navarro told me she was going to make her famous chocolate chip cookies today. So how about we hang out at my place for a while?" Logan asked, glancing over at her.

"Sure," Veronica sighed, smiling. _Mrs. Navarro's chocolate chip cookies. Mmmm. I haven't had those in so long._ "That sounds good."

* * *

 **A/N** : Ooooh! What happened to the Donut? Where'd he go? :O

LOL. Here was some Weevil. Some Wallace. Little bit of cute LoVe time. And the introduction of Carmen's case where -Dun Dun Dun- V found out what she was drugged with and who brought it to the party. But will all the info be the same as in the show? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter! :D

P.S. I will be posting once a week! It probably won't be any specific day (like every Wednesday or something). It'll just be one weekday (or maybe during a weekend) every week. (Does that make sense?) :l

See ya'll sometime next week!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

 **Chapter Word Count** : 2,370

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hello everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to post a new chapter. I was going to post yesterday, but it was my first day of my second year back at college and I came home with a horrible headache, so I couldn't stand looking at my computer screen. Ugh.

Anyway, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it!

* * *

When they arrived at the Echolls' mansion, a few trays of chocolate chip cookies were set on the kitchen counter. Logan poured himself and Veronica each a glass of milk and grabbed a plate of cookies. They made their way outside, taking a seat at a table on the veranda.

"So, what's your plan to help Carmen?" Logan asked, taking a big bite out of a cookie.

"Get his phone and delete the video." Veronica takes a bite of cookie. "Mmmm." Logan smirks and she takes a drink of milk. "Hopefully Carmen can get it from him before school's over. She'll text me if she does. We'll meet at the office and go from there, since it's not guaranteed that's the only copy of the video."

"What if he has it downloaded on his computer or something?"

"If he does, I'll have to get into his room. Find all the copies he has. I'll definitely ask Mac for help on erasing the video completely."

"Mac?" Logan asked, forehead crinkled.

"Yeah, Cindy Mackenzie. Goes by Mac. She's a friend of mine who's good with computers." Logan nodded.

"So if you decide to break into his room to take any copies he has of the video?" Logan asked, giving her a stern look.

"I'll take backup." Veronica smiled, eating another chocolate chip cookie.

"Backup?" Logan rolled his eyes and sighed. "I hope you mean backup as in another person or persons and not your dog."

Veronica rolled her eyes at him. "Jeez Logan. We don't even know if he has copies yet. If he does, then _yes_ I'll take someone as backup."

Logan smiled innocently. "Good."

~~LoVe~~

An hour later, almost 3 o' clock, Veronica and Logan were still lounging outside. The plate of cookies and milk were gone, empty plates and glasses left on the table. Logan and Veronica had moved from sitting at the table on the veranda to a patio swing chair in the shade. They had been talking about journalism when Logan's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Duuuude. What's up, man!" Dick said on the other end of the line. He was so loud that even Veronica could hear him. She giggled as Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"How's it going Dick?"

"Logan, dude, let's go on a surf trip this weekend! Remember I told you about it today at school!" Dick yelled through the phone.

Logan moved his phone away from his face, making a face as he looked down at it, before moving it back to his ear to respond. "And I said I'd think about it, okay man. I'll let you know tomorrow."

"What. Ever. Man. So anyway, dude, have you seen Duncan lately? Dude's gone a little crazy."

"Yeah, I know. Have _you_ seen him?" Logan asked. _Wallace said he left school early during class. And then Veronica and I left early too. Did Duncan not come back?_

"Nah, man. Nobody's seen him since he ditched school. He probably just went home. I mean, come on man, it's Duncan! Where else would he go?"

"Yeah. Right. Okay. So I'll talk to you later man. Bye," Logan said before hanging up his phone. He put it in his pocket before turning to look at Veronica. He took in a breath before talking. "So, Duncan never showed up to school. No one's seen him since he ditched." Veronica's eyebrows shot up as Logan spoke. _Where could Duncan have gone? And why the hell did he leave school? It can't seriously be because of me and Logan._

"Should we be worried?" Logan asked her after a moment.

Veronica's eyebrows furrowed slightly and she pursed her lips. _Should we?_ "I don't know," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "We know Duncan's not exactly one to just up and leave like he did. And, honestly, I don't know what to expect when it comes to his epilepsy and everything."

Logan nodded. "Yeah." The two of them sat there in thought for a while longer. There was complete silence until Logan eventually spoke again. "Well, I don't know about you, but I could use a refreshment right now," he said as he got up, extending a hand out for Veronica to take.

"Mmhmm," Veronica said, taking his head, letting Logan lead her back inside the house.

They entered the living room wrapped up in each other, refreshments forgotten. Kissing, Logan twirls Veronica around until they're by the couches. Arms wrapped around each other, they're leaning against a couch as they continue to kiss. After a few minutes of making out, they pull apart, foreheads resting against each other.

"So the place is ours. Dad's at class and Trina's at an extremely important purse store opening in Beverly Hills," Logan says, giving Veronica kisses on her forehead and cheek as he spoke.

"Your dad is taking classes?" Veronica asks.

"Yeah," Logan says, taking a small step back from Veronica. "Exploring the world outside himself. All part of the new Aaron Echolls," he continues, moving around the living room. Veronica watches him for a moment before following him. "Spanish, ceramics, Tae Kwan Doe, and today, glass blowing with Silvio Pirelli, master of Old World crystal." Both Logan and Veronica are by the fireplace, where Logan gestures to a glass piece on the mantelpiece. "Nice, uh? Just two lessons."

Veronica looks at it questioningly. "And he made a bong?"

Logan shakes his head slightly. "An urn for my mom. You know since there was no body and thus no ashes, he filled it with sea water, 'cause she jumped into the ocean, get it?" he says, moving closer to Veronica, placing his hands on her waist. "At least it gets him out of the house," he says before leaning in to kiss Veronica. They continue to kiss as they slowly make their way toward the couches. When they reach the couch, Veronica brings Logan closer, pulling him down on top of her as she laid back on the couch. Veronica had her arms around Logan's neck, running her fingers through his hair. Logan wrapped one arm around her waist, the other in her hair, titling her head for a better angle.

They had been too consumed in each other to notice a phone ringing. Someone was calling Veronica. It rang twice before the pair finally broke apart. They both sighed, frustrated at the loss of contact. Just as Veronica reached for her phone, it notified her of two missed calls and a new text message.

3:01 To Veronica from Carmen:

 _I got Tad's phone. What time should I come over?_

"Who is it?" Logan asked, as he tried fixing his hair.

"Carmen," Veronica said.

3:03 To Carmen from Veronica:

 _Great. Can you come by the office in an hour?_

3:04 To Veronica from Carmen:

 _Sure. C u then._

Veronica put away her phone and sat back down on the couch next to Logan, facing him.

"So?" Logan asked.

"So?" Veronica responded innocently, tilting her head with a smile on her face. _It's so fun messing with him_.

Logan rolled his eyes at her and shook his head, but he couldn't stop the small grin from forming. "So what did Carmen say?"

Veronica smiled. "She was able to get his phone. I'm meeting her at the office in an hour."

Logan's eyebrows creased and he pouted at her words. _Here I was hoping for some more time spent making out and hanging out, but no_. He sighed. "So what do you wanna do until then?"

Veronica tilted her head and looked away, acting as if she was thinking real hard. "Uhmmm..." She began, before scooting closer to Logan. He smiled as she leaned in closer. "I can think of something," she said as she placed her hands on both sides of his face, before leaning in and resuming their previous make out session.

~~LoVe~~

It was almost 4:30 when Veronica walked into Mars Investigations. She found Carmen sitting on the couch looking stressed. Veronica sighed. _I shouldn't have let Logan distract me for so long._ She sighed again. _But what a very nice way to be distracted._

"I'm _so_ sorry I'm late. I got a little distracted," she said as she walked over to her desk. She took a seat in her chair and took out her laptop.

Carmen sighed as she got up. "It's okay Veronica. I only got here about five minutes ago." She took a seat in the chair in front of Veronica's desk. "I just really want this whole thing to be over with."

Veronica nodded. _Tad is so gonna get what's coming to him. Like the saying goes, 'Payback's a bitch'._ "You got his phone, right?"

"Yeah." Carmen handed Veronica Tad's phone. Veronica found the video files and deleted them all. She even deleted all of his pictures, too.

"You know, Carmen. Just because we deleted the video from his phone doesn't mean it's gone completely. He could've saved it on his computer and made a copy or copies," Veronica said, handing the phone back to Carmen.

"Yeah, I know Veronica." Carmen looked down at the phone in her hands. She noticed a small statue on the desk, and without a second thought, used it to smash Tad's phone to pieces. "That felt good." She smiled.

A sound from Veronica's laptop alerted them of an IM. "An IM from 'top gun'," Veronica said.

"That's Tad," Carmen said. Veronica clicked on the message. It was the video of Carmen. Veronica sighed. _Great. It looks like a little B &E is in order. God, Tad is such an asshole._ The video played for a couple of seconds before Carmen was able to reach over to stop it. Veronica had seen enough. _Why does the background of the video look so familiar?_

"Oh, God. What do we do now Veronica?" Carmen asked as she slumped back into the chair.

"First, I'm going to ask my friend Mac for a little help on the technology angle. She's great with computers. Maybe she knows of a way to delete the video without taking his computer. But that won't do anything about any potential copies he may have of the video. So, I'm going to have to sneak into his room and search it for any copies he made of the video."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I'm gonna need your help with that actually." Veronica looked at Carmen sympathetically. "Do you think you can stomach going out with him for a day to distract him?"

Carmen looked hesitant, but she nodded anyways, letting out a heavy sigh. "Yeah. I'll do it if it means the video will be gone."

Veronica gave her a small smile. "Okay. Do you know if his parents work all day? Times nobody's home?"

"His parents both work typical 9 to 5 jobs. He's an only child, so you don't have to worry about anyone showing up."

"Alright. So tomorrow you distract Tad. Take him somewhere you two can do things all day, okay. I'll keep you posted on what I find and when. You gotta let me know when you're on your way back if I'm not already out of his house. I doubt it will take that long, but it's best to be safe than sorry."

Carmen nodded. "Thanks, Veronica. You have no idea what this means to me."

"No problem, Carmen." Veronica gave her a supportive smile.

Carmen was about to leave when Veronica decided to stop her. "Hey, Carmen!?"

Carmen was halfway to the door when Veronica spoke. She turned around. "Yeah Veronica?"

Veronica looked down for a second, before getting up from her chair to walk closer to Carmen. "Do you know where the video was filmed?" She asked, voice soft and cautious.

Carmen looked away for a moment. When she turned back to Veronica, her eyes were watery. "Yeah." She took a deep breath. "It was at Shelley Pomroy's end of the year party last year."

 _Holy shit._ Veronica's mouth hung open. "Are you okay, Veronica?" Carmen asked, taking a step toward her. Veronica nodded. _Carmen's taped the same night I was raped._ Suddenly Veronica realized something. _Maybe I wasn't the only one to be drugged that night._

Veronica turned back to Carmen. "You don't remember being taped that night, do you? You don't remember doing any of those things with Tad?"

Carmen shook her head. "No." She looked at Veronica, slightly confused.

Veronica closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "Carmen, I think Tad drugged you. It explains why you don't remember any of it."

Carmen's eyes widened. She didn't say a word. She just shook her head and took a seat on the couch. Veronica went over and sat next to her. _Logan was there. Maybe he can help. Hopefully Carmen gives the 'okay'._

Veronica took a deep breath before speaking. "Carmen, I need to ask you something else."

Carmen looked up at her and nodded subtly. "Now, I won't do anything unless you give the 'okay'." Carmen nodded again. "I know someone who could maybe be of help." She looked at Carmen, who nodded again. "Logan was at the party. I wanna know if you'd be okay with him helping out. I won't show him the video. I'll just ask him about that night. About the drugs and what he saw. He'll also probably go with me when I search Tad's room."

Carmen's eyebrows furrowed. She looked down at her lap. It was only a minute or two of silence, but to Veronica it seemed like an hour. "Okay. Logan can help," Carmen said as she looked back up at Veronica. She got up from the couch and Veronica followed suit. "I appreciate you asking my permission on that." Veronica nodded. Carmen gave Veronica a small smile before leaving Mars Investigations.

Veronica walked back to her desk, mulling over what was going on. _A two for one. Stop Tad from releasing the video and maybe find out more about what happened the night I was raped._ Veronica sighed heavily as she sat back down in her chair. She closed her eyes for a moment. _I hope Logan can give me and Carmen some answers._

* * *

 **A/N** : So what did you guys think? Anything you want to see happen in upcoming chapters?

Please leave a review! I love hearing from you guys! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,269

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hey everyone! So, my week's been _pretty_ busy. First full week back to school and all my professors throw readings, quizzes, and essays at us already. :( So, I haven't had much time to post a new chapter any earlier. I'm sorry. Even though I'm sure I'll have a lot of homework to do from now on, I promise to try to keep on posting a new chapter at least once a week. I don't want this story to be forgotten or get left behind!

So, for those of you who are still in school: You can do it! The struggle may be oh so real sometimes, but it'll be worth it when you're all done! I know I'm looking forward to the end. :)

Anyways, enough of my rambling! On with the story!

* * *

After an hour at the office, Veronica decided to head home. When she got there, her dad had finished making dinner for them.

"Hey honey," Keith greeted his daughter. He placed their dinner on the kitchen island and sat down. Veronica dropped her bag onto the coffee table by the couch before taking a seat herself.

"Hey dad. How was work today? I went by the office earlier and you weren't there," Veronica said, digging into her food.

"Oh, I was out following a potential cheating spouse." Veronica nodded. _So, a pretty normal day at work._ "How was school?"

"Oh, you know. Beat up a few kids and took their lunch money." She shrugged. "The usual."

Keith shook his head and laughed at his daughter's response. They went back to their dinner and spent the next few minutes eating in comfortable silence. Keith couldn't help but think about his daughter's newest relationship. _She says things are good, but the kid's been nothing but horrible to her since Lilly died. It's all a little hard to believe._ He glanced at Veronica, who was eating her dinner unaware of her father's inner debate. _I know I said I was fine with them dating, but still. What if he changes his mind all of a sudden and treats her worse than before?_ Keith sighed. Veronica looked happier lately, and Keith had no doubt in his mind that it was the effect dating one Logan Echolls had on her.

"Veronica?" Keith said, looking up from his food.

Veronica turned to him at the sound of his voice. "Yeah, dad?" she asked, before taking a sip from her cup of water.

Keith glanced away for a moment before looking back at her. One eyebrow raised, Veronica had an inquisitive look on her face. "I want to talk to you about you and Logan."

Veronica's eyebrows both went up. "Ohhkay." _What exactly about me and Logan?_

"Look honey. I have a feeling about how you might react to what I want to say, but before I go on, I want you to promise me that you will keep quiet and not interrupt. That you'll let me get everything out."

Veronica's eyebrows furrowed slightly and her eyes narrowed. _Okay. If dad has to ask me not to interrupt... No, it can't possibly be that bad._ Veronica slowly nodded. _Can it?_

"Alright. I'm going to be honest honey. I don't like him. And the thought of you going out with him after the way he's treated you this past year-" he paused, shaking his head slightly. Veronica opened her mouth to speak, but her father put up a hand to stop her. "You promised you wouldn't interrupt." Veronica closed her mouth, sighed heavily and nodded her head. "Look, I know you said you two grew closer when you helped him out with his mom, and I'm proud of you for being there for him, being a friend even after this past year, but that doesn't mean what happened in the past just goes away." Veronica's eyebrows furrowed and she looked slightly away from her father, staring at his shoulder instead of looking him in the eyes. Keith sighed. "Sweetheart, I'm just afraid that if he resorts back to acting like he did not six months ago, you'll be hurting even worse than you have before." At this, Veronica looked back up at her father. His gaze was so loving and sincere, Veronica couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up. "You two went from not even friends to being in a relationship so quickly. I just want you to make sure you two talk about everything. I don't want to see you get hurt." She took in a deep breath and nodded. _Dad's right. Logan's been so great lately. If, for whatever reason, he goes back to hating me, it would hurt so much worse. The moments we've shared had all been so tender and loving. It would be like how it was right after Lilly died. Only ten times worse._ Veronica sighed. _God, when did I become such a girl?_

She smiled at her father. "You're right, dad. The things that happened this past year... We probably should talk about it."

Keith reached over and squeezed her hand. "Good." They smiled at each other and retuned to their dinner.

~~LoVe~~

Ever since the talk she had with her dad at dinner, Veronica couldn't help but think about how to bring up the topic with Logan. _What if after talking, remembering the things we did to each other, our feelings change? What if he hates me again?_ Veronica sighed. She had gone to her bedroom to finish up an essay for school. That was an hour ago. It was now 8:15 PM and she was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts.

Five minutes later, she was brought out of her thoughts when her phone beeped. She got up from her bed and walked over to where her phone was on her desk. Sitting down in her chair, she opened up the new text message.

8:20 To Veronica from Logan:

 _Hey. How was ur meeting w/ Carmen?_

8:21 To Logan from Veronica:

 _Went ok. She said u can help._

8:23 To Veronica from Logan:

 _Really? Great! What will I do?_

8:24 To Logan from Veronica:

 _Help me w/ B &E. Also need info._

8:25 To Veronica from Logan:

 _B &E? For real? And what kind of info?_

8:25 To Logan from Veronica:

 _Yes B &E. Talk to u about info 2moro morning._

8:26 To Veronica from Logan:

 _Ok. I'll pick u up 1hr earlier to talk then?_

8:27 To Logan from Veronica:

 _Yeah, sure. C u 2moro baby cakes._

8:28 To Veronica from Logan:

 _Baby cakes?_

8:28 To Logan from Veronica:

 _Snookums?_ ;)

8:29 To Veronica from Logan:

 _Okay stop! No more! xD_

8:30 To Logan from Veronica:

 _Hahaha. Don't act like u don't love it!_

8:31 To Veronica from Logan:

 _C u 2moro. I gotta go shower. XO_

Veronica couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. The text message conversation with Logan had lightened up her mood. _Mmmm, Logan in the shower. Wet and soapy…_ She shook her head, sighing. _When did Logan Echolls have this effect on me?_ A smile tugged at her lips. _But what an effect it is._ She got up from her chair, deciding to take a shower herself. _I'm only doing this because then I can get ready faster tomorrow morning. It has absolutely nothing to do with Logan._

Fifteen minutes later, Veronica walked out of her bathroom clean and refreshed. She dressed into her pajamas quickly and sat down in her bed. She sent a quick text to Mac, asking her about what she can do about the video Tad has on his computer.

8:50 To Veronica from Mac:

 _Possible. Easier if you can get the computer 4 me though._

8:51 To Mac from Veronica:

 _I'll probly have it 2moro. Can u come by the office after school?_

8:52 To Veronica from Mac:

 _Sure._

8:52 To Mac from Veronica:

 _Thanks Q._

8:53 To Veronica from Mac:

 _No problem Bond._

Veronica spent the rest of her night watching tv with her dad and Backup in the living room. Their favorite show was on, so Veronica didn't really think much about anything else for the time being. The two eventually went to bed after the episode ended. Veronica was just about to reach her bed when her phone beeped again.

10:17 To Veronica from Logan:

 _Sweet dreams Ronnie XOXO_

Veronica smiled as she responded to Logan's text.

10:18 To Logan from Veronica:

 _Sweet dreams Logan XOXO_

~~LoVe~~

Veronica woke up the next morning well rested. She really did have _sweet dreams_ last night. Most of which involved her and Logan doing _very sweet_ things. When she went to bed, she was dreading the inevitable conversation she'd have to have with Logan, so she'd tried to think of _other_ _things_ to keep her mind off of it all. Obviously, it had worked.

Veronica dressed quickly and grabbed her things for the day. Her dad was already in the kitchen drinking his morning coffee when she left her room.

"You're up earlier than usual," Keith said.

"Logan's going to help me with some stuff I have to do for a case," Veronica replied, grabbing some cereal.

"What kind of case?" Keith asked, hopeful that it was nothing dangerous. _But then again, pretty much any situation can turn dangerous in the blink of an eye._

"A girl wants to break up with her boyfriend, but he has a video of her on his phone - one that was recorded without her knowledge - and he told her that if she breaks up with him, then he'll send the video to everyone," Veronica finished as she sat down with her bowl of Lucky Charms in front of her dad at the kitchen island.

"Well, be careful, and-"

"Take backup," the two said in unison.

Veronica smiled. "I know dad," she said, before eating a spoonful of cereal.

"Honey?"

"Yeah?"

"When you see Logan today, invite him over for dinner tonight would you."

"Uhm, yeah, okay. Sure," Veronica said. _Great. Dinner with dad._ Veronica mentally sighed. _Please dad, go easy on him._

They continued to eat breakfast and talked about Keith's recent cases. He told Veronica that he'd have to leave the next day for two days to track someone down for a client. After telling her to _"Be good Veronica"_ , he left for the office. Veronica was left to finish her breakfast alone. She was just putting away the dishes when there was a knock on the door. Veronica opened the door to find Logan standing outside.

"Good morning," Logan said, leaning down to kiss her.

"Good morning," Veronica smiled, giving him another kiss. She grabbed her bag before heading out the door.

"So, what's up with the case?" Logan asked, taking a hold of Veronica's hand as they walked down towards his car. "What can I do to help?" He smiled at Veronica and she smiled back.

"Well, later today, I guess around lunch time, we'll do a little B&E to get any and all copies Tad has of the video of Carmen."

"Okay, yeah, you mentioned that last night." They stopped at the passenger side of his X-Terra. Veronica leaned against the car, looking up at Logan. "What was it about some info you needed?"

Veronica looked away for a second. _Just get on with it Veronica._ She took in a breath before continuing. "The video Tad has of Carmen was shot at Shelley's end of the year party last year. Do you remember that night?" Veronica asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah, some of it." Logan shook his head slightly. "It wasn't exactly the best time of my life." He took in a deep breath. "I _tried_ to have fun, but I ended up just getting pretty plastered that night. I wanted to forget some things for a while, you know." He shrugged his shoulders. "Is there anything specific you want to know about? I remember the beginning of the party, but not so much the very end."

Veronica pursed her lips in thought. _It's worth a shot._ "Carmen said she doesn't remember even getting into the hot tub with Tad, let alone him recording her with his phone. I think Tad put a drug in her drink." At that Logan closed his eyes for a moment and sighed heavily.

"Son of a bitch," Logan muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Veronica's eyebrows creased as she watched him. Logan sighed again before he looked back at her. "There were drugs at the party. GHB." _Oh my god._ Veronica's breath caught. She looked up at Logan with wide eyes, eyebrows raised, and mouth agape. _Was Logan the one who ra- No. Don't think about it yet Veronica. There's got to be more to this. There's got to._ "Luke, Sean, and I went down to Mexico like a week before the party. We were _supposed_ to go to this rave out in who-knows-where, but Luke chickened out, supposedly because of his parents. I don't know. We each had two doses. Some for us. Some for the rest of the guys. Sean said he didn't take his doses to the party, supposedly because he was saving them for 'a special occasion'. Most likely to sell them now that I think about it. I didn't use mine. Mixing it with as much alcohol as I planned to drink that night would not have been fun. So instead, I gave one to Dick and the other to Duncan. Dick is, well Dick. And Duncan told me he wanted to try to have some fun too, and, you know, he'd been all zombie-like so I gave it to him. I don't know what Luke did with his though."

Logan moved to lean on the car, next to Veronica. Veronica stared straight ahead, Logan watching her process the information from his place next to her. Finally, after a while Veronica turned to face Logan, leaning on her side. Logan did the same.

"Okay, so either Dick or Luke gave Tad the GHB he used on Carmen." Logan nodded. He could tell there was more to this. Something else was bothering her. _Right now is probably not the best time to ask about it. I'll wait until later today to bring it up. When we're completely alone with more time to talk._ "Do you remember anything else? From later on?" Veronica asked.

Logan shook his head. "Not really. Everyone acted as people normally would at a party, I guess." Logan shrugged, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "That night's kind of a blur. I remember being outside the whole time, drinking with the guys." Logan let out a laugh. "They were being idiots as usual. Well, I guess we were all being like that. But, I don't know." Clearing his throat, he added, "I left the party early-ish and went to the beach instead. I don't exactly remember going, but I woke up the next day there so…" he trailed off, laughing lightly and shrugging his shoulders again. "And Dick kept asking me why I left early. Anyway, uhm, want me to ask around?" Logan asked, inching closer to Veronica.

Veronica looked at him, an expression of caring and concern on his face. Taking his hand she smiled up at him. Shaking her head, she said, "No. Not right now anyway."

Logan nodded. "Okay," he said, squeezing her hand. "So, how are we going to do the B&E today?"

"Well," Veronica began. She moved a little closer to Logan, her posture more relaxed than before. "Carmen will keep Tad distracted for as much of today as she can. We'll head over to Tad's house before lunch is over. Take his computer and any CDs or DVDs that could be copies of the video. I'll text Carmen and Mac when we leave, so they can meet us at the office."

"How are we gonna get inside?"

"Oh don't worry your pretty little head about that. I can pick a lock like it's nobody's business," Veronica said, smiling.

"Okay," Logan nodded, smiling back. "Sounds like a plan." Logan gave Veronica a peck on the lips before he moved to open the car door for her. "Hey," he said, glancing at the time on the dash as he sat in the driver's seat. "It's still pretty early. Wanna grab a coffee from Starbucks or something?"

Veronica smiled. "Of course." She snapped her fingers. "Come on Jeeves, off to Starbucks," Veronica said, before turning to look out the window. Logan laughed and shook his head at her antics, before driving out onto the road.

~~LoVe~~

Logan and Veronica were sitting out on the Starbucks patio drinking their coffees and munching on cookies and muffins. They were both lost in thought for a while. They didn't know it, but they were both thinking about the same thing. Logan couldn't stop thinking about what else there was to this case that had Veronica so affected. Veronica couldn't help but think about who could have been the one to drug and rape her.

"Hey Ronnie," Logan said, reaching over to place a hand over hers, intertwining their fingers.

Veronica looked at their hands before looking up at Logan. "Yeah?"

"I was thinking," he smiled slightly. "After the meeting at the office today, how about we go out to eat somewhere?" _Perfect time to ask her about what else has been bothering her with this case_. Veronica smiled slightly back at him, tilting her head a little to the side. "I mean clearly it won't be some fancy shmancy dinner type thing. I doubt there will be so much time after the meeting to get ready for something like that. But, you know, maybe we can go eat at Luigi's or Cho's or something." _Wow. What a way to ramble on, Logan._ Logan waited for Veronica's reply. She was looking down at their entwined hands, soft smile on her face. It was most probably only a few seconds until she finally looked back up at him, but for some reason it felt longer than that to Logan.

Veronica let out a soft sigh before answering. "As wonderful as that sounds, my dad actually wanted me to invite you over for dinner tonight," she said.

Logan gulped. _Great. Dinner with Veronica's dad. The talk before our date was bad enough, and that was only, like, ten minutes! Now I've got to endure a whole evening of dinner with him!_ Logan mentally huffed. _As long as Veronica's there._ "Yeah, okay. Sure," he said, small smile on his face.

Veronica smiled at him. "Okay, good."

Before the two could continue their conversation, Veronica's phone starting to ring. She took it out of her bag and checked the caller ID. _Wallace._

"Hey Wallace. What's up?"

"V, girl, you gotta get to school quick!"

"What- Why?" Veronica asked, eyebrows furrowed, looking over at Logan who had a questioning look on his face.

"Well, for one, our lockers are, like, pretty much destroyed. Duncan's back at school, and he does not look happy at all."

Veronica closed her eyes for a second and sighed. _Well, this is just fucking fantastic._ "Okay, Wallace. I'll be there soon."

"Alright. Later V."

After she ended the call, Veronica looked up at Logan. "Let's go."

They grabbed their things and began walking back to the X-Terra. "What's going on?" Logan asked.

"Wallace said something about destroyed lockers and that Duncan's back and pretty pissed," Veronica said as she got in the car.

Logan got into the driver's seat before responding. "Well that is just great." He sighed as he turned on the car and began driving out of the parking lot.

The drive to school was much like it was the day before. Tense and quiet. But for a whole different reason. When Logan pulled up into the school parking lot, there were students all around the entrance. Apparently, all of Neptune High knew that their arrival mixed with Duncan's current state could become quite a show.

Both Logan and Veronica sighed as the car shut off. "Ready to see what all the fuss is about?" Veronica asked Logan, reaching over and squeezing his hand.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

 **A/N** : So, yeah. I changed up what happened at Shelley's party a bit. Duncan took the GHB knowingly and willingly, and even though it's not mentioned in the chapter, Logan didn't do body shots off of Veronica.

And Duncan's acting all crazy again. What's up with that? _Come on Donut, pull yourself_ _together._

I hope I can post the next chapter sooner this time! We shall see. :L

Please let me know what you thought of the new chapter in a review! Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,091

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hey everybody! How are y'all doing on this fine day/night/morning/whatever? :)

Here is chapter 11. I have been busy this week with school so I couldn't post sooner, but it's a long weekend for me so yay! Anyway, I hope you like the changes I've been making so far.

Some things I want to mention about what's coming up (sort of soon, maybe, idk): So remember how I said at the beginning that Veronica hasn't gotten the paternity test results yet, right? _Well_ , it's not happening in this chapter, but she will get them soon! Like maybe within 3-5 chapters. Also, Veronica's mom will make an appearance at one point. I don't exactly remember if I mentioned that in an earlier author's note or not. But Lianne will come back, supposedly done with rehab. That part hasn't changed.

Well, on with the story!

* * *

The minute they stepped inside the hallway, everything went quiet. Their fellow peers stopped whatever they were doing and watched the two as they made their way down the hallway towards their lockers.

"Hmm, I'm feeling a sense of déjà vu. How about you?" Veronica joked. Logan only put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze. She sighed. _It's like he knows exactly what I need when I need it._

When they turned the corner of the hallway to get to Veronica's locker, Wallace was standing by his and Veronica's lockers. He had been waiting for them.

"Hey guys," he said, walking up to them.

"Hey Wallace. So what's going on?" Veronica asked.

Wallace sighed. "Okay. So I get to school and I come over to my locker, but they're wrecked. Yours and mine! Someone poured something inside. All of my books are ruined. And they wrote some stuff all over them too." Clearing his throat, he continues. "So then I'm walking down the hallway towards the office to talk to Clemmons about it, but before I get there, I see Duncan by his locker. And he looked super pissed off. Meg was there trying to talk to him and calm him down, but he just kept glaring at her and saying some pretty bad stuff to her. She wouldn't budge though. He eventually punched a locker and stormed off. I don't know exactly where he went, but I know he didn't leave school. Or, maybe he did and got a ride or walked or whatever, because his car's still out in the parking lot. I asked Meg about it but she said she didn't know what was going on with him, either."

Logan and Veronica stood there, shocked. Looks of anger and confusion covered their faces, as Wallace told them what he knew. It was clear to them that something was _very_ wrong with Duncan. _Something's definitely changed. The Duncan Logan and I knew would never have acted like this. Something's seriously wrong._ Veronica looked over at Logan at the same time he looked over at her. Neither of them knew what to say or do.

"You guys okay?" Wallace asked, looking from one to the other.

They both looked back at Wallace. Veronica nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's just- I don't really know what to say. I mean, Duncan's never acted like this before," Veronica said, shaking her head slightly.

"Yeah. Duncan's never been one for fights or confrontation. He's always been the neutral, 'I'm a nice guy' type of guy," Logan added. _What the fuck is going on with Duncan? We're supposed to be best friends. Shouldn't he talk to me about this stuff instead of acting like an asshole?_ Logan sighed. He didn't know what to do about Duncan. He couldn't even bring himself to really picture Duncan acting the way Wallace described. _But then again, I did find him with his hands around his dad's throat once. And knowing he has epilepsy that causes him to go into fits of rage, who knows what else Duncan might do._

Wallace nodded. He understood what they were talking about. In the short time that he's been around Duncan Kane, Wallace could tell that Duncan wasn't the type of guy to talk to his girlfriend the way he had spoken to Meg, and he was never one to get into fights either. But he could also see that things started changing, especially once Veronica and Logan started dating.

"Well, V, I'm going to go talk to Clemmons about the locker situation. Can't really go to class with ruined books," Wallace said, taking a step in the direction of the office.

"Yeah," Veronica sighed. "I should probably do that too, since my stuff's also ruined," she said, looking over at her ruined locker. Wallace nodded at her and began to make his way to the office, knowing that Veronica would want to talk to Logan alone.

"Want me to go with you?" Logan asked, searching her face.

Veronica turned away from her locker to look up at him. Sighing she said, "As much as I'd like for you to join me, I think it's best if you just go to class. It starts in like five minutes. Coming with me to talk to Clemmons will make you late."

"I don't mind," he said, smirking.

Veronica smiled and shook her head. She didn't want to get into it with Logan right now about the importance of attendance and education. _We have other things to worry about right now_. "Fine. Whatever. Waste away your education for accompanying me."

Logan smiled tenderly at her, leaning down closer to her slightly. "Haven't you heard? I'd waste away anything for you," he said, a serious, loving look on his face.

Veronica's breath caught. He looked so serious about it, she didn't know what to say to that. She didn't have time to anyway, because Logan leaned down and closed the distance between them, kissing her slowly and sweet. The kiss didn't last as long as Veronica would have liked. _Dammit._ When they broke apart, Logan rested his forehead against hers.

"Come on, _baby cakes_. You have to go see a man about a locker," Logan said giving her a soft kiss to her forehead. Leaning back, he took Veronica's hand. Smiling back at him, Veronica happily let him lead her away towards the office.

~~LoVe~~

Clemmons wrote Veronica and Wallace each a note for their teachers, explaining why they wouldn't have their textbooks for a couple of weeks or so. He said he'd look into figuring out who was responsible for doing the damage to their lockers, but Wallace and Veronica both had a good idea of who it could've been. _Duncan's the likely suspect. He's been pissed and acting out ever since Logan and I told him were dating._ Veronica sighed. _But, then again, despite the fact that I'm now dating Logan, and he's been telling people to back off, there are still some people who could've done this just because they don't like me, and by association, Wallace_.

Logan had gone by his locker as soon as Veronica had joined Wallace in Clemmons' office. Except for some writing in sharpie, his locker was fine. He grabbed the books he needed. _Maybe I should take them all in case they come to ruin my locker later?_ He stood there for a moment thinking about. He closed his locker and shook his head. _Nah. I don't really care if they do anything. If it was Duncan, he's not around to do anything anyways._ He headed back to wait for Veronica and Wallace outside of the office, acting like he was supposed to be there. Anyone who passed by didn't give him a second glance. _Well, that's a first_.

Classes had gone as expected. Boring lectures and constant glances from their fellow classmates. All anyone was talking about was Duncan's outburst that morning and how Logan, Veronica, Meg, and Wallace were connected. By the time lunch came around, there was still no sign of Duncan. His car was still in the school parking lot. Everyone was wondering where he'd gone off to.

Veronica and Meg shared the same class before lunch, and Veronica wanted to talk to her about what happened with Duncan that morning. Not liking all the attention she was getting that day, Meg was one of the first ones to leave the classroom, so Veronica had to hurry to catch up to her.

"Hey, Meg!" Veronica called out to her as she jogged up to her.

At the sound of Veronica's voice, Meg visibly flinched. _Well that doesn't look very promising._ She hesitated before coming to a complete stop and turning to face Veronica.

"Hi Veronica," Meg greeted, forced smile on her face.

"Listen, can I talk to you in private for a sec?" Veronica asked, tilting her head in the direction of her 'office'.

Meg looked around before answering her. _Probably looking for a way out of having this conversation with me._ Veronica sighed when Meg finally looked back at her. Taking in a deep breath, she said, "Okay. Sure. Fine." Veronica nodded and began walking towards the girls bathroom.

They were halfway there when she saw Logan looking at her. He raised an eyebrow in question. "Gonna talk with Meg," Veronica mouthed to him, gesturing to Meg, who was walking next to her. He nodded and turned back towards his locker.

Once inside the bathroom, Veronica quickly checked to see if they were alone. Meg walked over to lean on the sink, watching Veronica's movements. When Veronica turned around and moved towards Meg, she noticed Meg looked a mixture of annoyed, angry, nervous, and shaken up, so she stopped a few feet away. _Meg's never angry. Seriously! What happened this morning?_

"So, why am I here, Veronica?" Meg asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Wallace told me a bit about what happened this morning. Between you and Duncan," Veronica said. "I just... Wanted to ask you if you could tell me everything that happened. He's just... Never acted like this before with anyone, ever. Logan and I are starting to get worried about him and what he might do..." Veronica trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say.

Meg took in a shaky breath and looked down for a moment, deciding on what to do. After a minute, she sighed heavily and looked back up at Veronica. "I honestly have no idea what's wrong with him. One second he's the sweetest guy when we get to school, but then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, he starts acting like this crazy jerk." Shaking her head, she continued. "I tried to talk to him. Get him to explain to me why he got so angry, but he just kept glaring at me and saying all these horrible things..."

"What kind of horrible things?" Veronica asked softly.

Meg bit her lip for a second before responding. "Just... You know, like, general things guys say about girls." She couldn't bring herself to completely acknowledge all that Duncan had said to her. She was falling in love with him. Or, well, who he was. Right now, the recent events all seem so wrong and off to her. Like if she was in an alternate universe.

"General, like, you're a slut and fake, and are probably cheating on him with his best friend, kind of general?" Veronica asked.

Meg nodded. "Yeah," she said softly. Veronica tentatively moved a few steps closer. Meg had looked angry and annoyed, _at her_ , when she'd asked to talk to her. _She still looks mad. But why? And why does she look angry at me? What could I have possibly done?_

"Meg?"

"Yeah?" When talking about Duncan, Meg had started to look worried, confused, and nervous. However, once that was finished, and she had looked back at Veronica, she'd went back to looking angry and annoyed.

Veronica cleared her throat before moving on. "Meg, are you mad at me?" _I just don't get it. I mean, sure, I could've talked to her more since she started dating Duncan, but that can't be the reason she's mad. Besides, she knows I've been spending most of my time with Logan these days. Who doesn't at Neptune High?_ Veronica sighed when Meg looked away.

A moment passed and Veronica was about to ask again, when Meg finally turned back to her. She didn't look so angry and annoyed anymore. She almost looked guilty. "I'm sorry Veronica. I'm not angry _at you_. It's just something Duncan said that's got my emotions all messed up today." She sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

After a beat, Veronica asked, "What did Duncan say?" Veronica had moved closer to Meg again. They were both leaning against the sinks now.

Pulling her hand away from her face, Meg answered.

 _**Flashback**_

"Why are you acting like this, Duncan? Why are you being such a jerk all of a sudden?" Meg asked him, tightening the hold she had on her purse.

Turning from his locker, Duncan said, "What I do with myself and my life is none of your business." He grabbed some books and forcefully put them in his backpack.

Meg stood there, mouth agape, fuming. _None of my business?_ "I'm your girlfriend, Duncan! Did you forget that? How is what you do and how you are none of my business?"

Duncan didn't answer right away. Instead, he just stared into his locker, knuckles white from the tight hold he had on his backpack. His face was turning red. Angry, he slammed his locker and turned to Meg. "You know, it's bad enough hearing that you're supposed best friend is hooking up with your ex, but now put an obsessive, wants-to-know-everything girlfriend on top of it..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "If you wanna stick your nose in other people's business, why don't you just pull a Veronica. I'm sure you can hook up with Logan too, just like the slut I'm sure you are."

Meg couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Duncan's mouth. _He did not just say that to me! How dare he call me a slut and assume I'd cheat on him!_ Laughing incredulously, Meg responded, "This is about Veronica, isn't it!? You still love her, don't you?!" For a second, Duncan looked away, pretty much answering Meg's questions. Shaking her head, Meg added, "You just can't accept that she's moved on and happy with Logan, can you?! Is that what this is all about, Duncan!?"

Both Meg and Duncan stood there glaring at each other, before Duncan stepped back an inch or so and punched the locker closest to him, causing Meg and everyone around to gasp and flinch. Duncan stormed off after that, leaving Meg alone in the hallway.

 _**End Flashback**_

Veronica stood there, mouth open, staring at Meg. _What. The. Hell?_

Veronica was quiet too long for Meg to take, so she said, "Look, it's okay Veronica. I'm sorry for acting angry with you. It's just that, what Duncan said really got to me. I really wish it hadn't, though."

Veronica sighed. "Listen Meg, if it means anything to you right now, I just want you to know that I don't have any romantic feelings for Duncan anymore. Those have been gone for a long time. You have nothing to worry about in that area for my part."

Meg nodded. "Thanks, Veronica." She gave her a small smile. "Look, it's not that I _don't_ want to continue this _amazing_ conversation, but I'd really rather just be alone for a while."

Veronica gave her a small smile. "Yeah, I totally get it."

Meg nodded again, before turning away from Veronica. She was about to grab the handle to open the door, when Veronica decided to stop her. "Meg, wait."

Sighing, Meg put her hand down to her side. Turning back around, she said, "Yes Veronica?"

"I'm sorry. I know you want to be alone and all, but I think there's something you should know," Veronica said, moving towards Meg. "About Duncan," she finished, now standing right in front of Meg.

Meg's eyebrows furrowed. "What is it, Veronica?"

Veronica closed her eyes and let out a sigh before responding. _It's may not be my secret to tell, but like hell I'd let Meg go on not knowing Duncan has epilepsy with a possibility of him hurting her._ "Duncan has epilepsy," Veronica said softly, looking up at Meg.

Meg's eyebrows shot up. "Epilepsy?" She gasped.

"Yeah," Veronica nodded. "It can cause him to go into fits of rage and black out. He wouldn't remember doing anything."

Meg nodded. She turned away from Veronica, moving to lean against the wall by the bathroom door. _Epilepsy? Fits of rage? Oh my god, Duncan. Why didn't you tell me?_ "How long have you known?"

"Not very long. He's never said anything to me or Logan about it. We kind of found out some other way."

Meg nodded again. She didn't know what else to say. She didn't know what to do about Duncan now. _All this time, and he never bothered telling anyone._ She stood up, away from the wall. Sniffling, she said, "Thanks Veronica. I'll see you around, okay," she said, exchanging a small smile with Veronica, before turning to leave the bathroom.

Sighing Veronica closed her eyes and leaned back, half on the sink and half on the wall. A few minutes after Meg left, the door opened again. Veronica didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was.

"So how did that conversation go?" Logan asked.

Sighing, Veronica opened her eyes to look up at Logan, who was now standing at arms length away from her.

"As okay as it could've been."

"So she told you what happened with Duncan."

"Yeah," Veronica nodded. "And it's pretty bad. She said he just got angry out of nowhere and started saying horrible things after she asked him about it."

Logan moved to lean against the sink next to her, taking her hand in his. "You think, maybe he's not taking whatever meds he has to for his epilepsy? And that's why he's all over the place, lately?"

Nodding, Veronica said, "Yeah, maybe." Sighing, she moved to lean her head on Logan's shoulder. "That and the fact that us dating bothers him and has got him bitching out at Meg."

Logan's eyebrows rose. He turned to look at Veronica, but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking down at her shoes. "Really?" At that she looked up at him. She nodded.

They both stood there for a moment, thinking. After a moment, Veronica spoke."I told Meg that Duncan has epilepsy. I think it's best if she knows. You know, just in case," Veronica said softly, taking one of Logan's hands in hers before looking up at him.

Logan nodded. "Yeah. That was probably a good idea," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers. "Enough of this. We can deal with Duncan later. Right now, don't we have some B&E to do?" He smirked, moving his hands up and down her arms.

Smiling, Veronica nodded. "Yes," she said, giving him a sweet, slow kiss. "Let's go," she mumbled against his lips, before giving him another softer kiss on the lips and pulling him out of the bathroom.

* * *

How'd you guys like this chapter? How do you guys feel about how Duncan's been acting? Anything you want to see happen between the remaining members of the Fab Four? Leave a review to let me know your thoughts on what you read and what you want to see!

Thanks for following and reading this story, guys! It means a lot :)

Peace and LoVe and all those good things!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,362

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Sorry it's taken me a bit longer than usual to post a new chapter. It's just that school has started to get more stressful. I've got a heavier workload this semester, so I have little time to work on this story. So, with that said, I wanna let you guys know that I won't be able to post every week. It'll most likely be every two weeks or so between chapters.

Anyways, here's chapter twelve! Hope you like this one. (I honestly don't really like this one as much as other chapters. I feel like my writing got weaker - even awkward maybe? - around the middle and towards the end. I don't know... :/ Eh, what can ya do?)

* * *

Before Veronica had gotten to school that day, she'd had a short conversation with Carmen, finalizing their plans for the day. Carmen would distract Tad, keeping him occupied during school hours and then take him to the boardwalk. In case he had stashed a copy of the video somewhere Veronica couldn't get to, they'd have a backup plan. She was able to get Wallace to follow them around, taking pictures. Later, Mac would help set up a website, dedicated to Tad secretly being gay. Seth, a guy from school who didn't like Tad, would help even more with that. He'd record a fake conversation that would be uploaded to the website. Carmen had already recorded a conversation she'd had with Tad earlier that day, so all they had to do was substitute Carmen's responses with Seth's. If Tad even thought about releasing that video, they'd send the link to the website to everyone. While that was happening, Veronica and Logan would search his room.

"We need to stop by my place first," Veronica said as Logan drove out of the school parking lot.

"Okay," he said. "For what?" he asked after a beat.

"My car," she said, watching him.

Logan's eyebrows furrowed. He turned to look at her and said, "Whats wrong with _my_ car?"

Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Logan, your yellow monstrosity of a car is so conspicuous, while mine is not."

Logan let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he mumbled, pulling up to Veronica's apartment complex, parking right next to Veronica's LeBaron.

Veronica smiled at him, amused. _This boy and his eyesore of a car_. As soon as Logan shut off the engine, they both got out of the X-Terra and into the LeBaron.

"So what's this asshole's address again?" Logan asked her, putting on his seatbelt.

"1327 Waverly Lane," Veronica said, searching her bag again to make sure she had everything they'd need. _Okay, good. Everything's here._

Logan laughed. _Waverly. Really?_ "So, do you think he'll have copies on DVDs or something? Because, to be honest, he doesn't look like he's really smart enough to have thought to do that." Logan shrugged.

"Hmmm. Although that may be true, even disgusting idiots like Tad can think of making copies of a video of his girlfriend," Veronica said, turning on the car and pulling out of the apartment parking lot.

Logan nodded. They were both silent the rest of the way to Tad's house.

~~LoVe~~

When they arrived, there were no cars in the driveway or in the street. They parked across the street and before they got out, Veronica quickly scanned the neighborhood. She made sure that nobody was watching them and that there were no security cameras on the houses around that could catch them breaking in. Logan waited patiently, watching her with an amused grin on his face. _She's so adorable when she's concentrating and definitely so hot when she's in detective mode._

"Okay, the coast is clear," Veronica said, sending a text to Carmen, letting her know they were at the house, before turning to look back at Logan. "Let's go," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt, grabbing her bag, and getting out of the car. Logan followed her.

Getting inside the house was easy. Veronica picked the lock in under ten seconds. Logan was very impressed. _And so turned on. Damn!_

When they got inside, the house was completely empty. _Good. Carmen was right. Now, onto Tad's room._ When they got to Tad's room, it was like any other teenage boy's room. Posters of cars and half-naked girls on the wall, clothes thrown haphazardly in and around a laundry basket in the corner, messy bed. Logan had gone straight to the shelves on the wall stacked with CDs and DVDS, while Veronica grabbed Tad's laptop from his desk, put it inside her bag, and searched the drawers.

Tad didn't have too many CDs and DVDs, so Logan's search was quick. He looked through every case. He was almost done looking through them all, when he noticed something sticking out from behind the shelf. It looked like it was taped to the wall, so Logan moved the shelf slightly forward, and grabbed whatever it was. When he got it out and moved the shelf back into place, he looked at what he'd found. _Gotcha asshole_.

Veronica had looked through all of his drawers. _Clothes, clothes, porn, weed, and more clothes._ Veronica sighed. She was about to check underneath the drawers when she heard noise behind her. Turning around, she saw Logan moving a shelf forward and grabbing something from behind it. As he moved the shelf back into place, she moved over towards him. _Well what do we have here?_

"So I guess he did make copies of the video," Logan said, shaking his head. "That guy really is an asshole, isn't he."

Veronica nodded. "Should we search his room some more? See if there are other copies stashed?" Logan asked.

Veronica thought it over for a moment. _There's usually only one hiding spot. And since Tad's not the brightest, I doubt he has any more DVDs stashed somewhere else._ Veronica pursed her lips in thought. _But, then again, it wouldn't hurt to continue searching just in case._ Veronica sighed. "I don't know. I don't think he's smart enough to have hidden _any_ _more_ copies."

"But," Logan cut in.

Veronica grinned. "But, it wouldn't hurt to search the whole room to make sure those are the only copies."

Logan nodded, handing Veronica the stack of DVDs. She put them inside her bag, before going to check underneath the drawers, while Logan checked under the bed. They didn't find anything else there. _Except for even more porn and something in a plastic bag that was sure to be cocaine. Jeez. Poor Carmen, having to deal with such a douchebag like Tad._ They checked behind the other shelves and drawers, making sure there weren't more copies taped to the wall like the ones Logan had found. However, they came up empty. Despite it being disgustingly messy, they didn't find anything else in the closet either.

Now that they had searched practically every inch of Tad's room, they fixed things to how they were when they'd first arrived. Satisfied, Veronica and Logan made their way back out. Logan was about to open the door to leave, when Veronica grabbed his hand to stop him. He gave her a questioning look. "We have to make sure there's nobody out there who could see us," she said. _Right. Of course._ Logan nodded and Veronica turned to look out the front windows. Not seeing anyone, she moved back over towards the door where Logan stood. He opened the door, so that she could go out first. He followed her out, closing and locking the door behind him. Out on the porch, Veronica grabbed his hand, leading the way back to the waiting LeBaron.

"So, it is now, five 'til three. What do we do now?" Logan asked once they were both seated in the car.

"Well, school will be out soon, so I'll text Mac and Carmen. Mac can meet us at the office and work her computer magic, while Carmen and Wallace take care of the backup plan. Then, Carmen can meet us once they've got enough pictures for the website."

"Okely dokely," Logan said, as Veronica turned on the car.

Veronica looked at him with an amused expression on her face before driving onto the road. " _Okely dokely_?" _Since when does Logan say things like that?_

Shrugging, Logan laughed. "What?" He asked, looking over at Veronica when they reached a red light.

Veronica laughed at him. "Oh nothing. Nothing. Just, _now I know_ that you're definitely the weird one in this relationship," she said, driving off as soon as the light turned green again.

Logan laughed along with her, enjoying the moment. _It's nice to see her laughing and smiling so much again. I've definitely missed this with her._

~~LoVe~~

When they got to Mars Investigations, Veronica's dad was with a client. The door to his office was closed so they didn't know who it was. Setting her bag on the coffee table, Veronica got comfortable next to Logan on the couch. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her close, while she leaned her head on his shoulder, resting a hand on his thigh.

She had sent Mac, Wallace, and Carmen texts about what to do next. Mac had texted her back saying she'd meet them at the office in half an hour. Carmen said she'd only need and hour, two at most, for Wallace to get the pictures they needed. For now, Veronica and Logan would wait, snuggling on the couch in the waiting room.

"You wouldn't happen to know why your dad wants me over for dinner tonight would you?" Logan asked, voice low and soft.

Veronica moved her head so that it was still on his shoulder, but in a position where she could look into his eyes. "I don't know." She shook her head lightly and shrugged. "He just slipped it into conversation this morning out of nowhere."

Logan looked off into space for a moment, eyebrows furrowed slightly, lips pursed in thought. Veronica placed a hand to his cheek, moving his head gently in her direction so she could look him in the eyes. "Hey, don't worry about it, okay? It'll be fine." She smiled softly, getting a small nod from him. "Besides," she said, leaning close, kissing him lightly on the lips. "He's leaving tomorrow for two days to track someone down for a client." She winked at him, smiling. He smiled back, before closing the distance between them, kissing her sweet and slow. The arm Logan had around her pulled her closer, while his other hand moved to grab the hand she had placed on his thigh, entwining their fingers. Veronica deepened the kiss even further by moving her hand from his cheek to his head. She moved her fingers through his hair, loving the softness of it. _My, this is heavenly._ She sighed into another round of kisses. _Please don't stop._

They were so focused in each other, that they almost didn't hear the door to her father's office open. Luckily, neither Keith nor the client stepped out right away. Veronica and Logan had managed to come to their senses. _That or they needed some more oxygen, really._ They pulled apart and moved to sit how they were before they're little make out session just in time, because not a second later, Keith followed the client out of his office.

"Thank you Mr. Mars," the client said.

"It's no problem, Mr. Tran. I'll have everything done and ready for you in a few days," Keith said. Mr. Tran nodded and gave a small smile before leaving Mars Investigations. Once he was gone, Keith turned towards the two teenagers. "Hey kids. How was school?" He asked, standing on the other side of the coffee table.

The two looked at each other. _How was school dad? Oh, well it was just peachy keen. We learned that light is a particle that exerts properties of a wave, the derivative of cosine is negative sine, and, oh yeah, Duncan is apparently a giant asshole now._ "Oh, you know," Veronica said, turning to look at her father. "The same as always. We learned stuff." Veronica shrugged.

Keith gave her a skeptical look, narrowing his eyes slightly and raising an eyebrow. Logan looked at her amused, that is, before Keith turned to him. "What about you Logan? How was your school day?"

Logan gulped. _Why the hell am I so nervous all of a sudden? It's just a simple question._ "Oh, uh, it was okay." He shrugged. _Yeah, okay, good. That's a safe answer._

Keith stared, looking at them, back and forth. _Well, then._ Sighing, he began moving back towards his office. "Don't forget about dinner tonight, you too," he called out to them, shaking his head a little as he went back into his office, planning on finishing up as much paperwork as he could before he leaves the next day.

Once the door to Keith's office closed, Veronica and Logan both relaxed. Leaning her head back against Logan's shoulder, Veronica sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment. _Dad totally knows something's up. He always does._ Veronica sighed again, turning her head so that it was comfortably in the crook of Logan's neck. When she opened her eyes, she could see that Logan had his head resting on the back of the couch and he was staring up at the ceiling. He was bouncing his leg, and she knew that he was in deep thought and whatever he was thinking about was beginning to make him nervous.

After another minute or so of Veronica looking up at Logan and Logan looking up at the ceiling, Veronica finally broke the silence. "You know he knows that something's up," she said softly. Logan turned to look at her now. "He could tell that something's bothering us."

"Really?" Logan asked, matching her soft tone. "How?" He moved to sit up a little better, causing Veronica to sit up as well. "I mean I thought we were pretty good at not showing it." At that Veronica gave him a _'come-on-do-you-really-think-my-dad-wouldn't-see-right-through-that'_ sort of look. Logan grinned and nodded his head. _Of course. Mr. Mars was once the sheriff. He totally saw right through us._ He picked up Veronica's hand and began to play with her fingers as he thought. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's presence. "What do you think we should do about Duncan?" he asked, not looking up from their entwined hands until he after he asked the question.

Veronica had her head resting on Logan's shoulder again and was looking down at their hands when he asked the question. She looked away from their hands and up at his face. She could tell he was beginning to worry. _It must've been what he was thinking about earlier that was getting him nervous._ Veronica sighed. _Dammit Duncan._ "I don't know. Maybe he hasn't been taking his meds for the epilepsy or something." Veronica shrugged and shook her head lightly. "We might need to talk to his parents if it gets worse," she said, a look of dread on her face.

Logan nodded. He knew if it got worse, and if it has something to do with Duncan's epilepsy, the Kanes should know what to do about it. "We should, like, call a meeting or something. Get everyone who cares about what's going on with Duncan together and come up with some ideas," he said.

"Yeah," Veronica said, nodding. "That's a good idea. It's Friday, so maybe we could have it tomorrow or something."

"Okay," Logan said, giving her a small smile. He was already thinking up a list of who needed to be called. The meeting would definitely be at his place, in the pool house most likely. _Can't have daddy dearest near enough to listen in_.

~~LoVe~~

When Mac finally arrived at Mars Investigations, Veronica and Logan had been in the process of making a list of who to call. They had already agreed that the meeting would be held at Logan's pool house. _This is going to be one stressful weekend._

"Hey guys," Mac greeted.

Veronica smiled. "Hey Mac." She stood up from where she was sitting next to Logan. "Uhm, Mac this is Logan. Logan this is Mac," Veronica said, introducing one to the other.

"Hi," Mac said.

"Hey," Logan said.

After a somewhat short awkward pause, Mac asked, "So where's the laptop?"

Veronica gave her a small smile. _Right. The laptop._ She grabbed her bag from the table and took out the laptop. She made her way to her desk, Mac following behind, and placed the laptop on top of it, turning it on. Mac sat down in the client's chair and began to work her computer magic. "Hmmm, this guy's security is seriously lacking," she said.

"So you can erase the video file right?" Veronica asked, taking a seat in a chair next to Mac. Logan pulled up a chair to sit behind them, wanting to feel included in what was happening.

Mac turned to look at her friend. "Of _course_ I can erase the video file, Veronica. I'm shocked and a little insulted at your faith in me," she said, playfully sarcastic.

Veronica smirked. "Sorry Q. Just had to ask." Mac smiled back at her before returning to her work. Behind them, Logan smirked at their behavior.

It took Mac only twenty minutes to completely erase all of the videos from Tad's laptop. She made sure she cleaned it up well, and left him a little present too. Mac created copies of some of the video files that were actually viruses, so if Tad opened one of them, his laptop would crash.

"Thanks Mac," Veronica said, after Mac had finished.

"It's all in a day's work," Mac said, shutting off the laptop and turning in her seat to face Veronica and Logan easier. "So, when are Carmen and Wallace getting here?"

Veronica was going to respond, but as soon as Mac finished asking the question, Wallace and Carmen entered the office.

"Hey guys," Wallace greeted. Carmen smiled at all of them in greeting as she and Wallace made their way over. "We got some pretty nice shots for the backup plan, if I do say so myself." Wallace grinned, holding out the camera for Veronica to grab.

"Wow Wallace. These are pretty good," Veronica said as she looked through the pictures. Logan leaned in closer to have a look too. _This is gonna be so fun. I actually sort of hope Tad does something so we can release this._

"Alright Bond, hand over the camera. I gots me a website to make," Mac said, opening her laptop.

"Work your magic, Q," Veronica said, handing over the camera.

The process of making the website took longer than it normally would have. They had all gathered around Mac's laptop, sitting in a semi-circle, making comments on the pictures they were trying to choose. During school, Mac had gotten the recordings from Seth, so now all she had to do was put it all together, and the website would be complete.

It was five o' clock when they were done. "Thank you so much Veronica," Carmen said, hugging Veronica. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Veronica awkwardly hugged her back. "No problem, Carmen."

Once everyone had left Mars Investigations, Veronica and Logan were one again alone in the office waiting room. Keith had spent the entire time in his office, working on his cases, so he hadn't seen what his daughter and her friends had been up to.

"Well, case closed right?" Logan said from his seat on the couch.

Veronica smiled at him and made her way to sit next to him. "Yup. And on Monday, Tad's laptop will just magically appear in his locker at school video-free."

Logan nodded. He looked down at his lap for a moment before turning his head to look back at her. "So what time is dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Uh, I'd say at seven," Veronica replied. "Why?"

Logan shrugged. "It's 5:07," he said, looking at his watch. "What do you wanna do until then?"

Veronica turned thoughtful for a minute. _What shall we do?_ "How about we go to the beach?" _We can talk and take Backup for a little exercise. Two birds, one stone._

Nodding, Logan said, "Sure." He got up and extended his hand to Veronica. "Let's go." He smiled.

Smiling, Veronica grabbed her bag from where it was left on the floor with one hand, before taking Logan's hand with the other. "We'll meet you at home, dad," Veronica called out into the direction of her dad's office before she left with Logan. They could hear an _"Alright, honey!"_ from her dad as they left.

* * *

So that was chapter twelve... How was it? What'd you like (or dislike)?

Next chapter starts with LoVe at the beach w/Backup. They're going to have _a talk_ , if you know what I mean. And then it's dinner time w/Keith! :) That will definitely be oh-so-much fun, especially for Logan, I'm sure. ;P

Til next time everyone.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

 **Chapter Word Count** : 4,154

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : So here's the next chapter guys! Sorry it took longer than usual. School has been getting pretty annoying lately, but what can ya do, right? But this is a pretty long chapter! So there's that! I'm definitely going to take a big 'ol chunk of time this weekend to write the next chapter. Hopefully I can post that one sooner.

Anyways, read on!

* * *

They stopped by Veronica's apartment to get Backup before heading to the beach. He was _very_ excited that they were going to the beach. And he was _even more_ excited that Logan was going to go along with them.

When they arrived at Dog Beach, there weren't a lot of people out. Only handfuls of people were scattered throughout the beach. Veronica brought a ball to throw for Backup. She and Logan played with Backup for about an hour before they got tired and decided to sit in the sand to cool off. Backup was just as tired as they were and laid down on the other side of Veronica.

Sitting side by side, Logan and Veronica watch the waves of the ocean in front of them. Backup moves to rest his head on Veronica's lap, beginning to doze off. A jogger runs along the edge of the water. Down the beach, closer to the parking lot, a few kids run around, throwing a beach ball to each other. The sun is still up in the sky, but as the minutes go by, slowly it starts to go back down, beginning to turn the sky pink as it does so.

They've been silent since they sat down against the rocks, and now, though peaceful and nice, they both begin to think of a way to fill the silence.

 _Maybe I should ask her about what else has been bothering her about Shelley's party_. Logan mentally sighs. _But what if she gets mad or something and then the dinner with her dad is extra bad?_ Logan closes his eyes for a moment. _Shit_.

 _Should I ask him about what was up with him the other day when we went out for breakfast? He acted so weird_. Veronica glanced over at Logan for a moment. His eyes are closed and eyebrows creased slightly. She sighs, turning to look back out towards the water. _He's back to normal now, but still_. Veronica continues to think, shaking her head lightly. _I'll just bring it up some other time, if he acts weird again. Dad did say I should have a talk with Logan about this past year. That seems like a much better way to fill this silence. I just hope it goes well. There's no way we're going to have a nice dinner if this talk goes bad_. Veronica glances back over at Logan. His eyes are open again, and he's looking back out at the water. _Well, here goes nothing_.

"Logan?" Veronica begins.

Looking away from the ocean view, Logan turns to Veronica. "Yeah?" He says softly.

"Uhm," Veronica glances away for a second. _Shit, how the hell to I start this conversation?_ "So, my dad talked to me about something at dinner last night."

 _Oh, shit. It's got to be about me, right? Something bad? Crap, this can't be good_. "What about?" He asks, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Well, he told me his detailed opinion on us dating," she says, trying not to smirk at the look on his face. Logan gulps. _Well, shit_. Veronica takes his hand in hers before giving him a small smile and continues. "Don't worry. He's fine with it. But..."

 _But_...

"He also said that we should probably talk about everything that's happened this past year," Veronica says, all the while looking down at their entwined hands.

Logan mentally sighs in relief. _Her dad's fine with us dating. He just suggested we talk. What a fucking relief_. He rubs the back of her hand gently with his thumb. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Veronica looks up at him, but now he's looking down at their hands as he speaks. Eyebrows furrowed, he clears his throat softly before talking. "Veronica, you have so much more reason to be mad at me and hate me than I do you. The fact that we're even here like this is just..." He glances over at her, smiles and shakes his head slightly, sighing. Veronica smiles back. He scoots closer to her as he continues. "I was a complete jackass and the absolute worst. And I know saying sorry wouldn't cover even an inch. I just ... want you to know that I'm going to try my damn hardest to earn your forgiveness and trust back."

He looks over at Veronica. She's looking down at their hands again, head titled slightly. She shakes her head lightly, a small smile forming on her face. When she looks up at him, smiling, it's one of the most beautiful things he's ever seen. "Logan, you saved me from that weird federal agent. I think you're definitely down the road to forgiveness. Besides, I gave just as good as I got last year, so you're not the only one who has to apologize here." She's smiling at him in such an adorable way, that he doesn't even care to hear an apology right now. She's barely beginning to say "I'm" when he kisses her. The first kiss is soft and sweet. They pull apart only to come back together again. This time the kiss is hot and passionate. Logan's left hand caresses her cheek, moving to her hair, pulling her closer to deepen this kiss. Veronica's right hand moves from her lap to Logan's shoulder in an instant. She squeezes his shoulder before moving her hand slowly down his arm, resting on his bicep, just before his elbow. Removing her hand from his, Veronica hugs him closer, moaning into another hot kiss.

They continue making out, Backup still snoring in Veronica's lap, until some kids yell over at them, snickering and laughing. "Get a room!"

They laugh against each other's lips when they finally break apart. Resting their foreheads together, they catch their breaths.

"Mmm. We should do that more often," Logan says, eyes closed and smile on his face.

Giggling, Veronica pulls back slightly. "Be good and we might," she says. Logan opens his eyes, sees that twinkle in her eyes, and smirks. Before he can say anything, however, Veronica's phone begins to ring, causing Backup to wake and sit up. Veronica reaches into her pocket and takes out her phone. _Dad_.

"Hey dad," she says, leaning back on the rock. Logan watches in silence and listens to her side of the conversation from his seat next to her.

"Honey, didn't I say for you and Logan to be back home in time for dinner?" He says.

She takes Logan's hand to check the time on his watch. _7:15._ Sighing, Veronica closes her eyes for a second. _Shit. We're late_.

"Yeah. Sorry dad. We got kinda distracted. We'll be right over," she says, looking over at Logan, who is now getting up from the sand. He reaches out a hand to help her up.

Keith shakes his head. _'We got distracted' my ass_. He sighs. "See you soon, honey." _Kids_.

Veronica, Logan, and Backup make their way back to the Mars' apartment as fast as they can. _No need to make dad frustrated with us right before dinner._ They arrive about five minutes after the phone call Veronica had with her dad. _That's gotta be some kind of record, right?_

When they get to the apartment, Keith is sitting on the couch watching tv. As soon as the door opens and his daughter and her boyfriend walk in, he gets up, turning off the tv.

"Well it's about time, honey. The food's starting to get cold," Keith said to Veronica, who just smiled and nodded. Standing behind her, Logan didn't know what to do for a second. He was about to move around Veronica, but she moved to stand by the kitchen island. Keith came up to him, hand outstretched. "Logan."

Without hesitation, Logan quickly shook Keith's hand. "Mr. Mars." _That was easier than I thought it would be._ Keith nodded at Logan before letting go of his hand and moving back into the kitchen, a few feet away. _Still awkward as fuck though._

Veronica had stood about a foot away from them, watching the exchange. _Okay. So dad doesn't seem like he'll give Logan a hard time tonight._ When her dad moved to grab the food from the kitchen, Logan turned to Veronica. She could tell by the look on his face how uncomfortable he had been shaking hands with her father just now. She smiled softly at him, getting a soft smile in return.

"Alright kids. Dinner's ready," Keith said, placing their plates of food on the kitchen island. Keith sat down at one end, his back to the kitchen, Logan sat down at the other end, his back to the living room, and Veronica sat down between them, her back to the door.

"So Logan, how's school?" Keith asks after a minute of eating in silence.

Logan quickly glanced over at Veronica, who gave him a small smile. He sighed, picking at his food as he spoke. "Uh, it's going okay. I guess," he said, saying the last part in a whisper.

"Making good grades?" Keith asks. _I don't understand how this is getting him nervous. I'm just trying to make casual conversation._ He mentally smirked. _But it does make this for a more entertaining dinner._

"Good enough I suppose," Logan answers.

Keith nods. "That's good. I suppose," he adds after a beat, smirking. Veronica rolls her eyes at him.

"So dad," Veronica begins. "Any interesting cases lately?" she asks, trying to save Logan from anymore awkward conversation for as long as she can and because she really wants to hear about her dad's cases.

Keith glances over at Logan before speaking. "Now, you know, honey, I'm not supposed to talk about my cases with anyone other than my clients."

Veronica huffs, rolling her eyes as she shakes her head at her dad. Logan smiles. "C'mon dad. You know you don't have to give us their real names." She sighs, gathering some of her food with her fork. "Besides, it's not like I'm gonna do anything with the information anyway," she says, giving her dad her signature head tilt, before taking a bite of her food.

Logan looks over from Veronica to Keith and back, interested. _No way he won't give in to her cute head tilt._ He sees Keith narrow his eyes slightly at Veronica, who just smiles back at him, and then he sighs. _He's cracking._

"Fine," Keith says, shaking his head, looking down at his plate. He takes one more bite before he begins telling them about his most recently interesting case. A man, of about twenty-three years of age, said he was adopted when he was a baby. Keith called him 'Bob', for the story-telling purposes. 'Bob' hired Keith to find his birth parents. However, Bob already has an idea of who his birth parents could be. This is what begins to make the case so interesting. Bob told Keith that he was out with some friends at a music festival. There were posters all over the place. Some had pictures of bands that were playing during the festival, while others showed pictures of bands that would be playing in the area soon. Bob believes his birth parents are two fairly famous musicians. He thinks his birth mother had him very young but they couldn't take care of him, and so gave him up for adoption. The musician parents had two children later on, and Bob thinks they are his birth family because he says they all look so much alike.

"So, do you think it's the real deal?" Veronica asks. "I mean, sure, it could happen, I guess. But it all sounds a little crazy."

"That's why I'm going out of town tomorrow. I'll be meeting with a few people close with his adoptive parents and check in with the adoption agency to see if they can give me any information."

They had finished dinner halfway into the story, but they remained sitting at the kitchen island to hear the rest of it. Once Keith was finished telling Logan and Veronica about the case, they cleared their plates and got ready to have dessert. Veronica got the ice cream sundae ingredients while Keith handed Logan the plates and spoons.

Conversation during dessert was far more light and easy-going than when dinner had initially started. Logan was feeling far more comfortable. _I guess this dinner with Veronica and her dad isn't going as bad as I thought it would._ The three of them ate up their ice cream sundaes and joked about school and work, though that was mostly only Keith and Veronica. Logan simply laughed along with them.

~~LoVe~~

Keith had decided to go to bed early, right after they all finished their dessert. "I'm really tired, honey. And I have to get up pretty early tomorrow for the case, so I'm gonna go and head to bed okay," he said, standing by the refrigerator. Logan and Veronica were both standing at opposite sides of the kitchen island. He looked at the both of them before he continued. "Don't stay up too late." He gave Logan a particularly stern look before heading to his bedroom, leaving the door open a tiny crack, enough to be able to eavesdrop on the two teenagers without seeming too obvious. _She's my only child. Of course I'm going to stay tuned in to when her boyfriend is over and they're all alone. No way in hell I'm gonna let anything happen there. Hmmm. I can always get thirsty later. Make a trip to the kitchen._ Keith smiled to himself as he got ready for bed. He ended up falling asleep pretty quickly, thinking about various ways he could get Veronica away from being alone with Logan.

Out in the kitchen, once Keith went inside his room, Veronica turned to Logan. "So…"

Logan turned to her and grinned. "So?"

Veronica shook her head slightly, walking around the kitchen island to stand next to him. "So, how did _you_ think dinner went?" she asked, poking him in the chest when she said _you_.

He grinned as he looked away for a moment, glancing over in the direction of her dad's bedroom. When he looked back at Veronica, she was leaning against the island, eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer. "It was awkward as hell at first. You probably caught that, huh?" Veronica nodded. "But, eventually, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Veronica smiled up at him. "Good. Though, if dad wasn't so tired and everything, he'd probably still be out here and be bugging you with a thousand questions." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. He knew she was teasing him, but still, he also knew there was some truth in what she had said.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. He checked his watch quickly. _9:34_. He grabbed her hand. "Hey, what do you say we head to the beach for a while?" he asked her, gently tugging her closer.

Veronica glanced over her shoulder to look at the clock. _Hmmm. Only 9:34?_ She smiled up at him. "Sure," she said, before pecking him lightly on the lips and pulling him out of the apartment. Backup was starting to follow them out, but Logan closed the door before he could reach them. _Sorry buddy, but Veronica and I really need to be alone for a while_.

~~LoVe~~

It wasn't that far of a walk from Veronica's apartment to the beach, so they made their way on foot. Since it was a Friday night, there were a few groups of people scattered throughout the beach. Logan pulled Veronica closer, leading her over to a vacant area of the beach, away from any noise.

They were walking, when out of nowhere, Logan dropped to the sand, sitting down, taking Veronica with him. They laughed together as Logan pulled her to him so that she was sitting between his legs. His arms were around her waist, holding her in a tight embrace.

They continued to laugh for a good couple of minutes before finally calming down. They watched the waves come in and crash onto the sand in comfortable silence, taking comfort that the other was there with them right now. Veronica leaned back, resting comfortably against Logan's chest. Leaning into her, Logan rested his chin on her right shoulder, close enough that they were check to cheek. Veronica moved her hands to cover his, entwining their fingers.

"This is nice," Logan said softly, sighing in content. _It's been so long since I've really been this happy, hasn't it?_ Logan closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the feeling of having Veronica in his arms right now. _Yeah, this is exactly where I want to be_. Logan smiled when he opened his eyes. _There's no way I'm gonna let her go this time._

"Yeah," Veronica sighed. "It is." Veronica couldn't move. She was so damn comfortable sitting in Logan's arms. _Who would have thought I'd be feeling this way?_ She smiled as she thought back on the last few days with Logan. _He's been so great_. She glanced over at Logan. He was smiling, looking out to the ocean. She smiled when she saw him. _He looks so happy. It's been quite a while since I've seen him look like this_. Sighing, Veronica sunk even deeper into Logan's embrace, if that was even possible.

"Veronica?" Logan said. He moved slightly, so that he could see her face easier.

Veronica turned. "Yeah?" she asked, mirroring his actions.

"I want to ask you something," he began. Veronica raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "But... I'm not so sure how to ask it," Logan said, looking away for a moment. He took a deep breath in before turning back to look at Veronica.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Logan questioningly. _What? When has Logan ever been unsure of what to say? He always knows what to say_. She moved as much as she could to get a better look at him. "What is it?" she asked softly, moving her right arm around his shoulder. She gently moved her fingers through the hair at the back of Logan's head, comforting him, as she waited for a response.

Logan closed his eyes for a moment. _Just get it out, Logan. It's now or never._ He sighed heavily as he opened his eyes. He cleared his throat. "Uhh, well, when you were asking about Shelley's party for Carmen's case, I couldn't help but get the feeling that there was more to it than just a case."

Veronica's eyes opened wide as she heard Logan speak. _Shit, Veronica. What are you gonna do? Can you really tell Logan about that night?_ She looked away from Logan's gaze. He was watching her, trying to find an answer in her reaction, even if she didn't say a word about it.

"So, was there more to it than just helping Carmen?" Logan asked. She was still looking away from him, but she hadn't pulled away from his embrace. _That seems like a pretty good sign_. When Veronica still didn't look at him, he added, "Look, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it right now." He moved his right hand to her cheek, gently moving her head so he could look into her eyes. She looked back at him with glassy eyes. "I just want you to know. Whatever it is. I'm here for you, okay."

Veronica blinked, trying to stop the tears from forming. _'Whatever it is. I'm here for you, okay'. Dammit Logan, you make it really hard not to say anything when you tell me things like that_. Sighing, Veronica leaned her forehead against Logan's. She nodded. "I know," she said, kissing him lightly on the lips. Pulling back, she looked at him. He looked so adorable and loving that she almost couldn't take it. She could hear a voice that sounded a lot like Lilly talking to her. _Just tell him, Veronica. If he's seriously going to be your boyfriend, he needs to know. Besides, we both know Logan would never do anything like that to you_.

Sighing Veronica nodded again. "Something- there was something else to it than just a case," she said. Logan nodded, silently telling her to continue. Veronica took in a deep breath and let it out. "It turns out, Carmen wasn't the only one drugged that night," she said quietly.

Logan sat there shocked. _Veronica was drugged!?_ Logan looked away then quickly back to Veronica. She wasn't looking at him. Instead, she'd found the sleeves of her jacket to be far more interesting. _Whoever did this is going to pay!_ "What happened?" he asked, softly. Gently, he took her hand, moving his head down so he could look into her eyes.

When Logan took her hand and then looked into her eyes, Veronica couldn't keep it in anymore. She shook her head, eyes wide, letting the damn burst. She'd thought she'd been done crying her eyes out over that night. Immediately, Logan took her into his arms, hugging her close. She wrapped her arms right around his waist, crying into his shirt.

Logan was surprised. He hadn't seen Veronica cry like this in so long. So he held her as close as possible, patting her hair down soothingly. "Hey, it's okay. I'm right here. You're okay. Shhh," he said, rocking them gently back and forth.

Veronica shook her head against his chest. "No, it's not okay." She let out another sob. "He raped me."

Logan almost couldn't hear her through the crying. _She was raped!?_ Logan was furious. He pulled back. He took her face in his hands. She was red and blotchy all over, tears still flowing down her cheeks. "What!?" He gasped as he tried to wipe away her tears with his thumbs. "You were raped!?" He shook his head, even more furious. "Who? Veronica, who did this!? I'll kill him!" He asked her, in as much of a gentle, soothing voice as he could muster at the moment.

Veronica shook her head, still crying. "I don't- I don't know," she gasped in between sobs.

Logan's eyes began to get watery now. "Come here," he said, pulling her back to him. They held onto each other in a tight embrace. Logan silently cried along with her as he whispered soothing words to her, trying to calm her down.

It took about a half an hour until they both finally calmed down. They were still wrapped up together when Logan spoke. "Whoever is responsible for this is going to pay." He sighed. _I should have been there to protect her! I should have been her friend! Instead, I was a gigantic asshole to her at the party and for a whole year at school!_ Logan shook his head, angry at himself. He shut his eyes tight. _I've still got so much to make up for_. "I'll make sure of it."

Veronica pulled back to look at his face. She had stopped crying some time ago. Her face was still red and blotchy, tear tracks on her cheeks. "Logan, how are you going to do that?" she asked. Logan opened his mouth to respond, but she stopped him with a finger to his lips. "I've been trying to figure it out for the past year. I-"

"Then I'll help you now. We'll find this guy, Ronnie. Let me help," he pleaded. _Please, Ronnie. Let me help you._

She was so tired now. She didn't have the energy to say no. _See, this is why I don't share and talk about things that make me cry so much_. Veronica sighed. "Okay. Fine. You can help."

Logan smiled, leaning to rest their foreheads together. "I promise I won't let you down. I'm done being that guy," he said, caressing her cheek with his hand.

Veronica smiled a small smile at him, leaning into his touch. Reaching up, she moved her hand to his head, bringing him down until their lips met. At first, the kiss was soft and gentle. Soon after, however, Logan leaned in further, deepening the kiss. His tongue gently prodded the seam of her lips. Veronica happily parted her lips, sighing into his hot, passionate kiss. They both let out low, breathy moans of pleasure as their kisses grew hotter and hotter, tongues caressing, hands wandering.

They finally separated after another twenty minutes of hot, intense kissing. Resting their foreheads together, they tried to catch their breath. Veronica leaned into Logan, moving her head to rest on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead, rubbing her back gently. "Come on, sugarlips. Let's get you home, okay." He looked down at her and she nodded. Getting up from the ground, Logan held out his hand for Veronica. She took his hand and the two of them made their way back to the Mars' apartment.

* * *

So, what did you guys think? Was the way I wrote everything believable? I wasn't too sure how the rape reveal would go, but it ended up just coming out this way.

Please review & let me know what you guys thought! Anything in particular you wanna see happen? Ask and yee might receive. ;P

Until next time!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,725

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

* * *

 _2:47 AM_. Veronica lays in her bed, wide awake. She'd fallen asleep soon after going to bed, but an hour and a half later she woke up again. She stared up at the ceiling. She couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened that night. _I finished Carmen's case, finally helping her get rid of Tad. Logan came over and we had a successful dinner with dad. But at the beach afterwards…_ Veronica turns onto her right side, glancing over at Backup who was fast asleep on the floor by her bed. _I still don't know if telling him about the rape was a good thing or a bad thing_. Veronica sighs, closing her eyes. _Well, I guess I'll find out eventually won't I?_ She laid in bed for the next hour awake, plagued by her thoughts. Her mind just wouldn't shut up. It wasn't until 4:32 that she was finally able to fall asleep.

 _"Veronica! Wake up dorkus!" Veronica's eyes shot open. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Lily was standing in front of her, just as she was when she was alive._

 _"Jesus, Veronica. Have you gone, like, deaf since I died? What are you doing still laying in bed? I've been telling you to get up for, like, the past ten minutes!" Lilly said, moving over to haul Veronica out of the bed herself._

 _"What?" Veronica asked, trying to steady herself after being literally pulled out of her bed by Lilly._

 _Lilly rolled her eyes at her best friend. "I've been standing in front of you - you with your eyes wide open staring at me - telling you to get up out of bed. We have things to talk about and do, Veronica Mars!" Lilly stood there with her hands on her hips, facing Veronica._

 _Nodding, Veronica sighed. "Okay," she said, moving to sit down on her bed, leaving some space for Lilly to sit. Smiling, Lilly sat down._

 _The two moved to sit so they were facing each other. They sat like that, smiling at each other, neither one saying a word. After two minutes, Veronica tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. Lilly simply continued smiling, bobbing her eyebrows up and down. "So, you and Logan, huh?" Lilly said, bobbing her eyebrows up and down some more._

 _Grinning, Veronica sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Yeahh. I-"_

 _"Well it's about time!" Lilly exclaims, pulling Veronica into a tight hug. Veronica almost couldn't breathe._

 _When Lilly finally lets her go, Veronica says, laughing, "Wow. Well, you seem ecstatic about it."_

 _"_ _Well, of course I am! How can I not be? Two of the people that I adore most are together! This is a momentous occasion, Veronica Mars. We must celebrate your newfound relationship with Logan," Lilly says, scooting backwards on the bed so that she's leaning against the wall._

 _Veronica smiles at her best friend. She sighs and scoots to sit next to Lilly against the wall. In a quiet voice, she said, "You know, there was a part of me that thought you'd be mad at me for this, but I'm glad you're not."_

 _Lilly sighs, soft look on her face. "You know, Logan and I never seemed to work out. We'd break up, like, at least once a month. And sure, we'd get back together soon after, but really, we'd never last like that. That last time we broke up? It definitely felt final, you know? Like after that, we'd only ever be friends. Nothing more. Of course, now there's no chance for that." Veronica gets a sad look on her face and Lilly smiles sadly back at her. "Besides, you know that if he's going to be with someone else, of course I'd want it to be you. You guys are, like, the best!" Veronica smiles at Lilly. "And together you two are amazing."_

 _Veronica sighs, looking away. "You really think that?" she asks. Lilly opens her mouth to respond, but Veronica beats her to it. "I mean, this whole last year was bad. Like, really, really bad. And I know that we're trying to move passed that, but Lilly… I can't help but have this feeling, you know? Like this isn't even real and I'll wake up and suddenly, everything is back to how it was before when Logan hated me and the only person I really had was my dad and…" she trails off, sighing. She leans forward slightly, burying her face in her hands and massaging her temple._

 _Lilly takes in a breath, digesting everything Veronica had said. Scooting closer, she grabs ahold of Veronica's hands, prompting Veronica to look up at her. "Veronica, I know how bad this past year's been for you. I've seen what's happened." She sighs, sadly. "Well, of course, not all of it, but enough. And I hope you know how much I tried talking to Logan about it. To get him to stop and really see the bigger picture. But, obviously, he didn't listen." Veronica nods. "Look, I know you feel like one day he'll just pull a 180 and be a total dick again. But Logan's had a taste of what it's like having you back in his life again, and I know that he wouldn't give that up for anything. Not this time. Not ever again. Definitely not like before. He's not stupid. Sure he can act like a total idiot sometimes, but you and I both know he's not stupid. He'll stand by you this time. I mean… Remember when he saw your laptop with the file on my investigation?" Lilly asked, waiting for a response from Veronica. Veronica nodded, knowing exactly what Lilly was talking about. "He may have sort of seemed a little mad about it at first, but he didn't bitch out at you like he would have if he'd seen it, like what, three, four months ago?" Veronica nods along to Lilly's little speech, understanding everything her best friend is telling her. "I promise you he won't turn on you again. I'll make sure of it this time." Lilly says, evil smile beginning to form on her face. "I'll haunt him so he remembers the good thing he's got going on with you now. That boy won't mess this up again." Lilly smiles wide now and Veronica can't help but smile back at her, giggling."But seriously, Veronica, don't hold back so much just because you're afraid that he'll turn on you and hurt you. You'll only be hurting yourself worse if you do. Let him in. Share things with each other. Be the friends you used to be back when I was alive. Listen, you've got a great thing going on now. You've got Logan again. You've got new great friends; Mac and Wallace. Hell, even Weevil. It's not just your dad anymore. They'll be there for you too. You're not all alone anymore, Veronica. You never really were," she finished softly. "Okay?"_

 _Veronica smiled, eyes glistening. "Yeah," she said sniffling, nodding. "Okay." The more she thought about it, the more she realized how much Lilly was right. Wallace and Mac are great friends to her. Even Weevil had her back every now and then. She had Logan back in her life again, and things between them were pretty great; getting better every day. She had more people in her life she could count on. But then Veronica got a look on her face. "Lilly?" she asked, hesitantly._

 _Lilly could tell Veronica wasn't sure of something by the look on her face. And by what's happened recently, she had a pretty good guess of what it was about. "Yeah?"_

 _Veronica bit her lip, looking down at her hands before looking up and responding. "Do you think it was a good idea to tell Logan about what happened at Shelley's party?"_

 _Lilly thought about it for a second, getting her thoughts in order. "Yeah, Veronica. I think it was a good thing to tell him. If anyone's as determined to find who did this to you — you know, besides you, your dad, and your friends — it's Logan. He won't use it against you, you know that right?"_

 _Veronica nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's just… I don't know. What if he realizes how damaged I am or doesn't want to—"_

 _"_ _Veronica, you are my best friend! Don't you dare think about yourself that way!" Lilly exclaims. "You were hurt. People hurt you and may have broken you sometimes, but you put yourself back together! Every. Fucking. Time! You are strong, Veronica Mars!" Lilly says, grabbing Veronica by the shoulders, looking her straight in the eyes. "You don't take people's crap anymore. Logan knows that. He'll be by your side now, however you need him. Telling him about your rape won't change how he feels about you," she says. Veronica sits there, tears threatening to spill over, watching and listening. "He's not going to leave you, okay," Lilly adds softly, grabbing Veronica's hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. Veronica blinks, allowing for her silent tears to fall. She nods, sniffling. Lilly wipes away her tears. "Maybe you should talk to Logan more about everything that's happened. Go over it all again, you know? I know you probably won't like it much, but I bet you'll both feel better afterwards. Get your closure. You two deserve it," she says before pulling Veronica in for a hug. They're in a silent embrace for a few minutes, both thinking. Veronica heard what Lilly said, but still, a part of her will always feel like she's not strong enough, no matter how many people tell her she is. She wants to believe it. She really does. And she knows she probably does need to talk more with Logan, but it won't be easy. She just needs some time. Lilly hopes Veronica sees what she does. She wants the best for Veronica. She'll visit every night and tell her over and over again if she has to._

 _After a while longer, Lilly nudges Veronica's arm. "Hey, let's not get all sad and depressed anymore, okay? It's BFF time! We have SO much more to talk about!" Lilly exclaimed, getting up from Veronica's bed and heading to the stereo on the shelf. She turned it on, turning up the volume. Veronica smiled at her best friend, forgetting about all of her worries for now. This was a dream. She knew that. But Lilly was here with her. And it was just like old times._

~~LoVe~~

The next morning, Veronica awoke refreshed and happy. At first she didn't know why she felt so good. She'd only slept for a few hours, but then she remembered. _Lilly_. She sat up in bed, grinning. She'd dreamt of Lilly some times before, and many had felt so real, but last night's dream felt the most real of them all.

Veronica glanced over at the clock as she got up from bed. _8:07_. _Wow, only a couple of hours of real sleep and yet I feel so refreshed_. Grabbing some clothes, she went to go take a shower and get ready for the day.

When Veronica got out of the bathroom, her phone was on the floor. _That wasn't there before_. She picked it up and noticed she had a few text messages. _Ahh. So it must have fallen off the desk from the vibrations_. She went out to the kitchen before checking her messages. Her dad had left her a note on the kitchen island. _Was gonna leave you some breakfast, but had to leave in a hurry. Sorry, honey. Be back in a few days. Keep your phone charged and close by. I'll call everyday. Love, Dad. P.S. I talked to Alicia & asked if she could check up on you every once in a while since I'll be gone longer than usual. Don't worry though. She'll only invite you over a few times. Maybe for breakfast or dinner. Be good!_ She sighed, tossing the note in the trash, before sitting down on a stool to read her texts. There were two from Logan and one from Wallace.

8:13 To Veronica from Logan:

 _Good morning :)_

8:29 To Veronica from Logan:

 _Wanna get breakfast?_

8:33 To Veronica from Wallace:

 _Mornin V. Mom wants 2 kno if u wanna come over 4 breakfast_

 _Hmmm. What to do. What to do_. Veronica stayed in place, staring at her phone, for a couple of minutes trying to decide what to do. She sighed. _Well, damn_. She dialed a number on her phone and waited for the other person to answer.

"Hey. Did you get my text?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sorry, but I can't. I have plans for breakfast over at Wallace's," Veronica replied.

"Oh, okay," Logan sighed. Veronica could hear a hint of disappointment in his voice and she felt a little bad. "How about later? We're still on for talking about having a little intervention thing for Duncan, right?" Logan asked.

"Oh yeah. Of course. I'm just gonna hang out with Wallace for a little while and then I'll head over to your place, okay? I feel like I haven't seen him in forever, you know," she said. It was true. Ever since she started dating Logan, she'd spent less time with Wallace and she felt bad about it. She missed him and she knew he probably felt a little left out.

"Hey, don't worry about it. He's your best friend. I get it."

She smiled. "Good. I'll see you later okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you later Veronica."

"Bye Logan."

"Bye," he said before hanging up. Veronica went to her room to grab her bag, texting Wallace that she's on her way over.

~~LoVe~~

"Morning V," Wallace greeted after opening the door for Veronica.

She stepped inside the house. "Morning Wallace."

"So your dad has you on watch, huh?" Wallace teased as they made their way passed the living room.

Veronica snorted. "Sort of, I guess," she said, before the two of them stepped into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Veronica," Alicia said as she placed plates on the table. Darrel, who was already sitting at the table, munched on toast and mumbled out a "Goo' Mornin' Vronca."

"Morning Mrs. Fennel. Hi Darrel," Veronica said. Wallace motioned for them to sit down at the table, and so Veronica sat down in the seat between him and Darrel.

"I hope you like chocolate chip pancakes with eggs and bacon, Veronica," Alicia said, setting plates full of the food down in the middle of the table.

Before Veronica could respond, however, Wallace said, "Pshhtt. Mom, Veronica will eat almost anything with bacon," he teased, grinning over at Veronica who just rolled her eyes at him. Alicia watched the two of them with a small smile on her face, amused.

"Yes, Mrs. Fennel. Of course I like chocolate chip pancakes with eggs and bacon. In fact, I _love_ them. Thank you very much," Veronica said, a hint of teasing to her tone, as she glanced over at Wallace with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I love chocolate chip pancakes! But I love french toast more!" Darrel exclaimed, wanting to contribute something to the conversations occurring around him. Everyone else at the table just laughed and began to fill their plates with breakfast.

"Yes, honey. I know you do," Alicia said, scooping some eggs onto Darrel's plate.

~~LoVe~~

After breakfast, Veronica and Wallace went to the living room and sat on the couch. Darrel followed them, sitting in the armchair, getting comfortable to watch his Saturday morning cartoons. Alicia was in the kitchen working on some files from work.

"So what do you have planned for today?" Veronica asks Wallace. They are both sitting side by side on the couch, watching the cartoons Darrel chose as they talked.

"Uhm. Well, I'll probably stick around the house. Finish my homework like the good boy I am," he says, chuckling. "I think my mom has a work-related lunch to go to later today so I gotta watch Darrel. Why?" he asks, turning his head to look at her.

"No reason really. Just wanted to make conversation, you know. Like two normal people would," Veronica says.

Wallace laughs. "Since when have you been normal?"

Veronica narrows her eyes at him. "I wouldn't be so quick, Wallace. You aren't so normal yourself."

Wallace shakes his head, big grin on his face. "Hey! I'm as normal as they get," he said, patting his chest. "Hey, did you and Logan ever figure out what happened to Duncan?" he asked.

Veronica sighed, shaking her head. "Not really, no. I talked to Meg about what happened between the two of them, but we don't know what's really going on with him. We have our theories, but no one's seen or heard from him much lately."

"Damn, V. Looks like things are gonna get tough, huh?" Wallace says.

Veronica nods, letting out a soft sigh. "Yeah. Yeah, Wallace. I think so."

They sat in silence for a while, watching cartoons and simply enjoying each others company. About a half an hour later, Alicia came into the living room and told them that she had to leave to run some errands. Once she left, Darrel asked, "Wallace, can I get ice cream?"

Wallace sighed, rolling his eyes. _Of course he waits to ask after mom leaves!_ "You know mom wouldn't want you to have some right now."

Darrel pouts at him. "Pleeeeaaassseee Wallace. Pretty pleeeaaasssseee."

Wallace sighed, shaking his head. He glanced over at Veronica. She had an amused look on her face. He rolled his eyes again. "Fine. But you're only getting a little bit."

"Yay!" Darrel exclaims, leaping off of the armchair and making a run for the kitchen. Veronica and Wallace watched him go.

"Man, I swear if my mom finds out…" Wallace trails off.

Veronica chuckles. "Oh c'mon, Wallace. She's not going to find out. Now go," Veronica says, using her thumb to point in the direction of the kitchen. "Go give the kid some ice cream!"

Wallace laughed and shook his head at her. "Want some?"

"With chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry on top?" Veronica hurriedly asked.

"Is there any other way?"

Veronica quickly got up, grabbing Wallace's arm and dragged him towards the kitchen. "Well then c'mon! What are we waiting around here for?" Veronica says, laughing along with Wallace. _Definitely gonna have to make way more time to hang out with Wallace._

~~LoVe~~

The three of them sat at the table, happily full from eating their ice cream sundaes. Veronica sighed. "That was some good ice cream, my friend."

"For sure," Wallace said, leaning back in his chair and patting his stomach.

"Fosho!" Darrel exclaimed. Veronica and Wallace grinned at his remark.

Wallace and Veronica were beginning to put the dishes in the sink when Veronica's phone started to ring.

"The phone! The phone is ringing! The phone! We'll be right there!" Darrel sang as he got up from the table and ran out to the living room.

Veronica grabbed her phone from her back pocket, checking the caller ID first. _Dad_.

"Hey, dad. What's up?"

"Hey, honey. Did you have a good morning?" Keith asked.

"Yeah. Actually, I did."

"You have breakfast at Wallace's?"

"Yes, dad. And it was delicious," Veronica said with a sigh.

"Well that's good to hear. Are you still over there?"

"Yeah. Why?" Veronica asked, curious. _Since when does dad ask me so many questions about my mornings?_

"No reason. I just wanted to make sure things were going well. Anyways, honey. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be home until Tuesday, okay? I know I didn't really give you a specific day before leaving this morning. But after going over some details now that I'm here…" he trailed off.

"Got it, dad. Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll always have Backup nearby. And besides, you've got Mrs. Fennel on, like, 'Veronica watch' so… It's not like I'm going to be completely alone while you're gone this time."

Keith smiled. _Yeah. She won't be so alone this time around_. "Well, I've got to go, honey. I've got a couple things to take care of before going to a meeting. Remember: be careful, be safe, and always—"

"—take Backup," they finished in unison. "I got it, dad," Veronica said.

"Well, alright. Bye Veronica. Love you," Keith said.

"Love you too," Veronica replied, hanging up the phone.

"Your dad checking in?" Wallace asked.

"Yeah," Veronica said, putting her phone away. "He won't be back until Tuesday."

"Oooh. So what are you gonna do while he's gone?" he asked, making his way back out to the living room.

"Hmmm. I don't know. It's not exactly like I honestly have many options here," Veronica said, following him.

"Well, you could stay out as late as you want since he won't be there to actually see you. Hell, you don't even have go home all weekend!"

"As true as that may be, my dear Wallace, I have other more pressing matters to attend to," Veronica said, leaning back in her seat on the couch.

"Hmmm, like what?" Wallace asked, sarcastically, tapping his fingers on his chin. "Oh, like hanging out with that boyfriend of yours?" Wallace said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Veronica. She simply shrugged her shoulders with an innocent look on her face. "Ooh!" Wallace exclaimed, pointing a finger up in the air. "Or even better! You could hang out with your BFF!" he said.

Veronica gasped, mouth agape, as she placed a hand to her chest. "Really? You don't say!" Wallace laughed along with her.

After the two calmed down a bit, Wallace asked, "So what is your boy up to, huh?"

"He's home. I'm heading over there later. We're going to try to figure out what to do about the whole Duncan situation," Veronica said.

Wallace nodded, blowing out a puff of air. "Well, good luck with that, V. If you need any help, you know where to find me," he said with a smile.

"Thanks, Wallace," Veronica replied, smiling in return. The two of them turned back to watch whatever tv show Darrel was watching now, snickering and making fun of some of the things the characters did or said. _I should really do this more often_.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,925

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hello... It's me. (Anyone else loving that new Adele song!?) Anyways, here's the next chapter. I have A LOT of notes written out for what follows. (I wasn't too sure where to end the chapter) If I had continued on and kept it all in this one chapter... Who knows how _long_ this chapter would've been. But that just means the next chapter will definitely be up sooner. I can probably have it done by this weekend...

* * *

Veronica spent another few hours hanging out with Wallace. They watched tv with Darrel until he fell asleep around 1 PM. Wallace took him to his room. When he came back to the living room, they had spent their time talking and watching a movie.

When Veronica left the Fennel house, it was almost 3 PM. She made a stop by her place to check up on Backup. She refilled his food and water bowls before taking him out for a quick walk. It was 3:37 when she got back to her apartment. She went to the bathroom and then headed out to get to Logan's.

When she got there, Mrs. Navarro let her in and told her that Logan was in the kitchen. Veronica gave her a quick 'thanks' and a smile before heading further into the mansion. When she reached the kitchen, she found Logan sitting at the kitchen island counter. He was writing in a notebook and eating pop tarts. His back was slightly to her so he couldn't see her coming. She walked quietly over to him, careful not to make any sounds. When she got to him, she leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Whatcha doing?"

Startled, Logan gasped and shot up from his seat, dropping his pop tart. "Jesus!" he said, turning to see who it was. When he saw that it was Veronica, he calmed down. "Dammit Veronica. Don't do that again," he said, clutching his chest. Veronica smiled, laughing at him. He turned to look down at the floor, where his pop tart now lay. "Well, there goes my pop tart," he said, sadly. Looking back up at her, he added, "Are you happy? Now I don't have any food!" Veronica shook her head, smiling at his dramatics.

Mrs. Navarro had walked into the kitchen at that moment and heard what Logan said. "Oh, calm down Logan. There is plenty of food for you to eat," she said, going over to the refrigerator and taking out some tamales she'd brought over. "There. Heat it up and eat," she said, leaving them alone in the kitchen again.

Veronica had been looking at Logan while Mrs. Navarro came in and out of the kitchen and Logan had been looking over at what Mrs. Navarro was doing. When he turned to look back at Veronica, she was still smiling at him. "What?" he asked.

Shaking her head slightly, Veronica said, "I can't believe you got scared!"

Logan grinned and looked down. He shook his head. "I did _not_ get scared," he stated, bending to pick up the fallen pop tart. He sighed, before going to throw it away. Veronica followed him to stand over by the counter.

"Oh yeah? Say that to the sorry pop tart," Veronica smirked.

"You think you're so funny don't you?" Logan said playfully, moving closer to her.

"Hmmm," Veronica began, tapping her chin with her fingers. "Yes. Yes I do." She smiled.

Shaking his head, Logan let out a breathless laugh. Leaning down, he closed the distance between them, kissing her slow and sweet. Moving her hands up his chest, Veronica pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. Logan moved his hands up and down her back slowly, eventually stopping to wrap his arms around her waist.

"My oh my, little brother. Well, I didn't know you had company," Trina said, smirking as she walked around the corner and into the kitchen.

The two had separated as soon as Trina started speaking. Logan leaned on his back against the kitchen island and Veronica leaned against the island on her side facing both him and Trina.

Trina walks further into the kitchen. "Well, hello Veronica!" she says, exuberantly. Veronica only smiles in return. Trina grins and looks from her to Logan. He has a look of utter annoyance and boredom, while Veronica looks embarrassed and only slightly annoyed. "Well, aren't you two the cutest." Turning away from them, she makes her way over to the refrigerator.

Logan rolls his eyes at her and says, "Hmm. Trina, aren't you supposed to be... I don't know... Somewhere else? Like, let's say, not here?" He shrugs his shoulders and then crosses his arms over his chest.

"Well, actually…" She taps her chin and looks away for a second, as if she actually thinking about her answer. "Yes," Trina says, taking a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. She turns around to face Logan and Veronica. "I _was_ going to have a late lunch with someone, but something else came up." She shrugs, opening the bottle and taking a sip. "I was just on my way out, actually."

Logan straightens up a bit and claps his hands in front of him. "Good. I have things to do and I don't want you getting in the way."

Trina rolls her eyes at him this time. "Whatever, little brother. I've got better things to do than stay _here_ and watch you play your little Xbox games." Without waiting for a reply, Trina makes her way out of the kitchen and leaves the house.

"Trina. Always a delight isn't she?" Logan sarcastically says, looking in the direction in which Trina left.

"Mmhmm," Veronica replied. "She is just fantastic!" Logan turned around and Veronica was grinning, head slightly tilted to side. He smiled. "So… What was it you were doing when I got here?" she asked.

"Oh," he said, grabbing her hand and pulled her over to where he had been sitting. He grabbed the notebook and handed it to her. "I was, uh, making a list of people we could invite over for when we tackle the Duncan situation." He sounded a bit nervous and had put his hands in his pockets halfway through speaking.

Veronica read over the names on the list. Everyone she could think of that _truly_ cared about what was happening where Duncan was concerned was there. She wasn't surprised. She knew Logan. He was smart. And, of course, he's spent more time around these people than she has, so he would know just who to invite. _I honestly didn't really even have much of an idea of who to invite for this._ Looking up from the list, she told Logan, "It's good. It has everyone I can think of."

Logan sighed and nodded. "Okay. Good." He took the notebook back, closed it, and placed it back on the counter. "So when do you think we should have it? Tonight? Or tomorrow?"

Veronica thought about it for a moment. _There would be more time for us tonight since it is Saturday… But it's already sort of late to call people over… But then again, this is Logan. Practically anyone will come on such short notice if he asks._ "I guess we could have it tonight. You think you can get everyone here on such short notice?" Veronica asked, half teasing and half seriously asking.

Logan smirked. "I'm Logan Echolls. Of course I can get them to come over on such short notice," he says, tapping her nose. Veronica merely raises an eyebrow at him. He smiles softly. "Yes. They'll come if I ask. They'll probably think I'm calling them over for a party at first, but," he shakes his head, "since they've been witness to the Donut's behavior lately, they'll most likely be more serious about getting here." He nods. "Well, maybe not Dick. But you know that already."

Veronica nods. "Okay. Sounds like a plan. What time should I expect the goons?" she asks, smirking.

Logan snorted. "Uhhh, well…" he began, checking his watch. "It's 4:43 right now." He moved his head from side to side, thinking. "So I'd say, probably around eight; maybe nine."

"Ah, alright. So what do wanna do until then?" Veronica asks.

"Oh. Well, now that Mrs. Navarro took out the tamales… And a certain someone cost me a pop tart," he says, giving her a pointed look. Veronica simply points to herself and mouths, 'who, me?'. Logan smiles. "Yes, you." He looks over at the plate of tamales. "I'm gonna eat me some tamales. Want some?" he asks, unwrapping the plate of tamales.

"It's Mrs. Navarro's cooking, Logan. _Of course_ I want some," Veronica says, walking over to grab some plates. "It's like you don't know me at all."

Logan placed a few tamales onto a plate and heated them up. While he waited for the food to heat up, he sent out text messages to everyone who would need to be there later. Then he grabbed them each something to drink from the refrigerator. Once it was heated up, they took their food and drinks over to the kitchen table.

They ate their tamales in silence. Veronica had become unusually quiet since they sat down and Logan was beginning to worry. _She's never this quiet. Something's wrong. She was fine when she got here; joking around and smiling and everything_. Logan sighed, taking a drink of his soda. _She must be thinking too hard. And whatever she's thinking about has got her so quiet_.

Veronica took a drink of her soda. Once she put the can back down onto the table, Logan reached over and placed his hand on hers. She glanced at their hands and then looked up at him, a questioning look on her face.

"Hey, are you alright?" Logan asked softly, stroking the back of her hand gently with his thumb.

Veronica looked down again and sighed. She looked back up at him and could see his worry reflected on his face. "I'm fine," she said, matching his soft tone.

Logan scooted over a little bit closer to her. He leaned in close, bending his head down to look into her eyes better. "Are you sure? Cause you've been awfully quiet since we started eating and..." He trailed off. The whole time, stroking Veronica's hand with his thumb gently, in reassurance.

Veronica looked away for a moment, eyebrows furrowed, and sighed. She bit her lip. _I'm fine. Absolutely nothing is wrong. No, I'm not thinking about yesterday at the beach. No, I'm not thinking about how telling Logan about my rape brought up all those haunting thoughts I had right after I realized what happened to me_. Veronica sighed again. _'Jesus Veronica! Don't be such a wuss! He's your boyfriend! Tell him how you're feeling! That's what he's here for, dammit! To support you, listen to you when you have problems and make you feel better!'_ She heard Lilly tell— no, scream — at her. _Lilly's right. Cowboy up Mars_.

When she finally turns to look back at Logan, he's looking even more worried. _Shit, Logan. What if she doesn't want to talk about it?! You could be making things worse!_ Veronica squeezes his hand, as if she could hear his thoughts. Looking down at their hands, she interlocks their fingers. "I, uhm..." Veronica takes in a deep breath and then forces herself to look back up at Logan. "I just... I don't know. Last night was... intense... and it's just brought up some thoughts and feelings and... I..." She trailed off, not exactly sure of how to proceed. She couldn't think of how to tell Logan about it. She's never told anyone how she really felt. She's never had to.

Logan places a hand on her cheek. "It's okay," he says softly. "You don't need to give me all the details. At least, not if you don't want to." He leans forward, resting his forehead on hers. "Just tell me how I can make it better," he whispered.

Veronica closed her eyes, taking in the feeling of having Logan holding her like this. She placed a hand on his wrist, caressing. She opened her eyes and sighed. "You know," she began quietly. "After it happened, it was all I could think about. My mom was... gone and I couldn't tell my dad. I didn't really have anyone to talk to... Not that I would have wanted to talk about it all that much, but..." She shook her head, moved back slightly to look into Logan's eyes. He looked sad, regretful, guilty. She leaned her forehead back against his. "I wasn't fine back then. I was far from fine... But Logan, I really am fine now. Okay? It's just... It got me thinking about it all again... And, well... It's not exactly happy fun times..."

Logan nodded. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Veronica shakes her head subtly and then leans in to kiss Logan's lips. The kiss is soft and sweet. They both sigh.

It doesn't go further, however. They break apart and Veronica reaches up to caress Logan's cheek. "I'm fine, okay? In fact I'm better than fine. I'm great," she says, giving him a soft smile.

Logan nods, but he still looks sad, regretful and guilty. Sighing, he says, "I just can't help but feel like this is my fault. If I hadn't-"

"Logan, this isn't your fault. You aren't the one who did this to me," Veronica says, leaning back a little.

"Yeah, I know, but Veronica... If I hadn't made it okay to turn on you, to make you a target, it wouldn't have happened."

"Were you there, Logan? Were you telling people to have their way with me?"

"No! God, no! Veronica, no!"

"Then stop being stupid! You weren't there telling people what to do. You didn't make anyone do this. It's not your fault, okay? It's _HIS_ fault. You are not to blame here. I wouldn't be here if I thought you had anything to do with this..." Veronica said. She moved her hand from his cheek to his hair, moving her fingers through its softness. She gave him a quick, soft kiss when he tries to argue with her. "Stop. Just stop. Please." She sighs. "It's not your fault, okay. It's not."

Logan looks away, a guilty regretful look still on his face. "I still feel responsible," he whispers. Veronica sighs, caressing his face, gently prompting him to look back at her. Logan sighs when they make eye contact again. "I can't take that I hurt you when all I want to do is protect you." He kisses her forehead, gently moving his fingers through her hair. Looking back into her eyes, he says, "I promise I'm going to do everything I can to help. We'll find out who did this... And we're gonna make him pay."

Veronica wants to argue that he didn't have to help, but he has such an intense and determined look in his eyes, that she can't help but agree. "Yeah, we will," she says softly, giving him a soft smile.

~~LoVe~~

Mrs. Navarro had come back into the kitchen a while after they'd finished talking. She told them that she'd clean up the kitchen, so they left to find something to do. Logan suggested they watch a movie in the media room. Veronica agreed, but only if she got to pick the movie. Logan acquiesced, but started to argue when Veronica said they should watch the South Park movie.

"Come on, Veronica. Why do you want to watch that one? I know you've probably seen that movie like a hundred times!" Logan said, looking through the shelves of other movies they had to choose from.

Veronica rolled her eyes and sighed. "Your point?"

Logan turned around, other movie options in hand, and said "My _point_ is that there are other movies we can watch."

Veronica was going to respond, but before she could get a word out, her phone rang. She walked over to the couch where her bag was and took it out from the front pocket. It was an unknown number. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Hello?"

There wasn't an answer on the other end. Her eyebrows furrowed even further. Logan looked at her, questioning look on his face. She shrugged. "Hello? Who is this?" Again, no answer. But this time she could hear voices and shuffling movements in the background.

"Who is it?" Logan asked quietly, walking over to her.

Veronica shrugged. This was just like some of the other random phone calls she's been getting. Every time she'd answer it was the same. Nobody would reply back to her, but there was always some kind of noise in the background. _Sure it could be a butt dial, but these are getting more frequent and so not random anymore. This has got to be like the fifth call this week_. She rolled her eyes and hung up. _If they're not going to have the decency to say something after calling me, I'm not going to have the decency to say that I'm going to hang up_. She put her phone back into her bag.

Logan raised an eyebrow in question when she turned back to him. She shrugged. "Someone's been calling me. Some unknown number. And every time I pick up no one says anything on the other end."

"Can't you, like, check the number on your investigator website?" Logan asked.

"I have, but nothing comes up," she says, taking a seat on the couch.

Logan sits next to her, shifting slightly so he's facing her a little more. "Do they call a lot?"

Veronica moves her head side to side, thinking. "Mmmm... I think this is, like, the fifth call this week. At first I thought someone just accidentally dialed my number, but then after a few more of the same type of calls, it stops being just an accidental random thing."

"Hmmm. Did you try *69ing it?" Logan asked, setting the movies he had in his hands down onto the coffee table in front of them.

"Yes. And ever single time it just rings. Nobody answers."

Logan nods, processing the information. _Should I do something? Is there anything I can do? I mean, she says she's already checked out the number. She's the investigative one, not me, what can I possibly do?_ "Okay... So, what movie should we watch then?" Logan asks, changing the subject.

Veronica considers forcing him to sit through what is probably the hundredth time to watch the South Park movie, but then decides against it. Veronica sighs. _Maybe there is another movie for us to watch. Perhaps one I haven't seen?_ "Which ones you got there?" she asks, pointing to the movies on the table.

Logan grins. _Yes! Something other than South Park!_ He reaches out to grab the DVDs. Going through them, he says, "Well, here we have the Fast and Furious, Pirates of the Caribbean, uhm, White Chicks, and Million Dollar Baby." Logan lays them out on the coffee table in front of her.

Veronica purses her lips, trying to decide. _Well I haven't seen any of these, except for Pirates of the Caribbean..._ "Hmmm..."

"If I may suggest," Logan begins, scooting over a bit closer. "White Chicks is really funny and Fast and Furious is action-packed and stuff..."

Veronica smirks at him. Of course he's suggest ones that he'd obviously like to watch. She sighs. "Fine. How about Fast and Furious then," she says, leaning back into the couch.

Logan smiles. He grabs the movie, putting it into the DVD player, pressing play. He puts the other movies back on the shelves before going back over to sit next to Veronica. When he's seated, she's looking at him. "What?" he asks.

She grins. "Don't you think we're forgetting something here?" she asks, motioning her hand to their general space.

Logan looks at her a bit oddly for a second before he realizes what she's talking about. He laughs a little. "Popcorn." Veronica nods, grinning. Logan pauses the movie before it can actually start. "Be right back," he says, kissing her quickly on the lips before getting up to get them some popcorn.

When he returns a few minutes later, he finds Veronica still seated on the couch, leaning towards the coffee table as she reads the back of the movie DVD. She looks up at the sound of the door opening. She smiles as Logan makes his way back over to the couch, bowl of popcorn in hand. Turning the DVD over in her hands she looks down at the cover. "So... This is basically a movie about street racing right?" she asks, putting the DVD box back down on the coffee table before she leans back into the couch.

Logan grins at her. He sets the bowl of popcorn down onto the table and then takes a seat next to her. "Yeah. Sure," he sighs. "Sort of. But it's way more than that..." Logan begins to explain, but they hear his dad call out to him. _Logan! You've got a visitor!_ Veronica and Logan look at each other. _No one's supposed to be there for quite a while still._

Logan rolls his eyes and sighs. "I'll be right back," he says. Veronica nods. He gets up and heads out to see who's here.

As he makes his way over to the living room, he can hear voices. The closer he gets, the easier it is to hear who it is. _What's he doing here?_

"Oh, Logan," Aaron says, turning to look at him. "Look who stopped by," he says, motioning to the visitor.

"Hey man," Duncan says.

Logan stops a few feet away from Duncan and Aaron. "Uhh. Hey man. What's up? What are you doing here?" he asks a bit cautiously.

Duncan looks slightly confused for a moment. He begins walking over towards Logan. "I came over to play Halo man," he says, moving passed Logan towards the media room.

"Uhm. Duncan. Hold on, wait," Logan says, following him, walking faster to try to get there before Duncan, but he's too late.

Duncan walks inside and finds Veronica on the couch munching on popcorn and reading the back of another DVD. She looks up at the sound of the door opening and her eyebrows shoot up. _Duncan!? What's he doing here?_ Duncan's eyes widen in surprise. He's confused as to why Veronica would be over at the Echolls' estate. _Why is Veronica here? I mean... they hate each other._ But then he really surveys the room. _Movie. Popcorn… Is this a date!?_ He gets an angry look on his face as he turns around to face Logan. "What the fuck is this?" he asks, voice low and angry.

Logan and Veronica share a look of confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asks calmly. _What the hell is going on? Seriously!?_

"Why is she here?" Duncan asks, taking a step towards Logan. "With you." Veronica stands up from the couch slowly, wary of the situation. Logan looks over at her, pleading with his eyes that she not intervene. _This is between me and Duncan. Veronica doesn't need to get involved in this right now._

"Duncan, are you okay? I mean… you know why she'd be here," Logan says, speaking as calmly as he can. _Did he hit his head or something? Seriously, what is up with him?_

Duncan narrows his eyes. Eyebrows furrowed, he looks away for a moment, trying to figure out what Logan's talking about. When he looks back at Logan, he can see his friend has a worried and hesitant expression on his face. _What is going on?_ He shakes his head and takes a step back. _I've gotta get out of here. I can't take anymore of this right now._ Without another word, Duncan moves out of the room quickly. Again, Veronica and Logan share a look of confusion and concern before following after him.

* * *

So yeahhh... That's where I decided to end it. As you can see, our 'friend' Donut here has been having some problems. That will be explained soon though...

And the conversation between Logan and Veronica is not quite finished yet. They have themselves a lot of issues to discuss and so they'll be having smallish conversations as we continue on in the story.

Random-but-at-the-same-time-not-so-random question: What did you guys think of Duncan at first? Like when you _first_ watched the show. I had initially felt bad for him and Veronica. Like... a part of me wanted them to get back together and whatnot... But then, you know, truths began to come out and I changed my mind. And then they hit us with LoVe and all other guys became invisible.

So, please, leave a review! I'd love to hear what you guys thought about this chapter.

LoVe and Marshmallows XOXO


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,561

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : I AM SO SORRY! It's been a whole month since the last update! But there are 2 new chapters! D: I know, I still suck. And I know excuses are annoying to hear most times, but I'm still gonna tell you why I haven't been able to post in such a long time: School has been crazy! Not only that, but I had the Thanksgiving holiday. I had no time to write or post for that entire week. So many family gatherings. And then I was bombarded with papers and projects for school. I had to stay after class in the library so many times it almost felt like I lived there... So, yeah. That is what took up pretty much all of my time. Warning: I have finals this week and next, so there will most probably not be another update until after. Also, the section involving Jake took me a while to write too. I just wasn't so sure how to write it out. It feels a little off to me for some reason...

Well, anyway, read away!

* * *

They follow as fast as they can, but they aren't able to catch up with Duncan. They had just reached the living room entryway when they heard the front door slam closed. When they enter the living room, they see it empty, until Aaron enters the room sipping a glass of whiskey. He looks from the front door over to where Logan and Veronica stand behind the couch.

"Was that Duncan that just stormed out?" Aaron asks, nonchalantly.

Veronica and Logan are both still a bit confused over what had just happened with Duncan that all they do is nod in response.

Aaron nods and takes another sip of his drink. "Hmmm… And Logan?" Logan turns from looking at the door to Aaron and nods. "Next time you have your friends over, tell them not to slam the damn doors," he says in a stern voice before leaving the room.

Logan sighs and rolls his eyes at his dad's retreating form. _Whatever_. He turns to Veronica who is now leaning against the couch. "So, that was..." Logan trails off.

Veronica sighs. "Yeah... It was weird." Logan nods.

"Mmhmm," Logan says. He grabs Veronica's hand and leads her back to the media room. _It's better if we're not overheard. Just in case. Even if daddy dearest might not care all that much about Duncan's behavior, it's probably best he doesn't hear anything_. He closes the door and makes his way to sit by Veronica on the couch. They're both quiet for a moment before Logan speaks again. "Do you think we should go over and talk to his parents about this?" At that, Veronica quirks an eyebrow and lightly shakes her head. "Or well, at least talk to Jake. He _is_ much more tolerable than Celeste."

Veronica thinks it over. _It could give us some answers. But if it's something serious, Jake might not want to tell us anything... But then again, we do already know about Duncan's epilepsy. If Jake knows that we know, he might actually talk to us and help us figure out what's wrong with Duncan_. Veronica sighs. "Yeah," she says, nodding. "We probably should go and talk to Jake about this."

Logan nods. "You wanna go now?" He glances at his watch. "He's probably home."

"I don't know. Do you think Duncan would be there too? I don't really think we should discuss this with his dad if he can pop in anytime and overhear."

Logan leans back and slouches a bit in his seat. "Yeah, you got a point there... But, why don't we stop by. Hopefully Duncan's not home and we can have a little chat with Jake."

Veronica shrugs her shoulders. _Well, why the hell not. It's not like we'd really be able to watch the movie after our little run-in with Duncan_. "Fine," she concedes. "Let's go." She grabs her bag from the floor and stands up. Logan stands and walks over to turn off the dvd player and television. He goes to open the door and waits for Veronica to head out first.

When they get to the Kane estate, they don't see Duncan's car. However, both Jake and _Celeste_ are both home. _Great, just what I needed_. Veronica rolls her eyes and sighs. The two of them get out of the X-Terra and walk towards the front door. When they get there, they can hear some arguing. _Ugh, must be Celeste_. They share a glance, both hesitant and dreading what's behind the doors. Taking a deep breath, Veronica knocks on the door. For a moment the arguing stops and they hear footsteps approaching the door.

"Oh, Logan. Uh, Duncan's not home right now," Jake says, opening the door just enough for him to fit through, but not enough for Logan or Veronica to see passed him. He'd only spoken to Logan and was only looking at him. He hadn't noticed Veronica yet. "Maybe you should stop by later."

"Uhh, Mr. Kane... Actually," Logan begins, shifting from one foot to the other. His movement causes Jake to finally notice Veronica's presence next to Logan.

"Oh, Veronica!" Jake says, surprised. "I didn't see you there."

Veronica nods and gives a small smile. She glances over at Logan. "Uhm, Mr. Kane, we aren't here to see Duncan. We're actually here to talk to you," Veronica says slowly, as a person would when trying not to startle a frightened, jittery animal. Logan nods his head beside her.

Jake looks from Veronica to Logan, look of slight confusion on his face. _Why would they want to talk to me?_

"Look, Mr. Kane, we came to talk to you about Duncan," Logan says in a voice slightly quieter than normal. "It's just... He hasn't been acting like himself lately…" he trails off.

Jake's eyes widen slightly. _How could they—. No. They can't possibly—. Duncan's fine. He's just going through a phase, he—._ He shakes his head a little at Logan, his eyebrows furrowing. "I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary with Duncan, Logan. He's probably just getting stressed with his studies. There's nothing for you to worry about," he says, calmly.

Veronica rolls her eyes and shakes her head at him. "You and I both know that's a load of bull, _Mr. Kane_ ," Veronica says as sweetly as she can muster.

Jake looks confused for a second. _No. They can't seriously know. Nobody knows._ "What are you—"

Veronica huffs out a breath. "Look, Mr. Kane. Let's cut the crap. We know that Duncan has epilepsy."

Jake looks at them, from Veronica to Logan and back, with his mouth slightly agape. Then the look of surprise is gone. Getting angry, he steps toward them. "How did you—"

"How we know is not important right now, Mr. Kane. What's important is that Duncan has been acting strangely the passed couple of days… And Veronica and I are starting to get worried," Logan says, in a calm voice, trying to get Jake to calm down.

Jake stares at Logan for a long beat, eyes narrowed, angry look still on his face. After a moment, he closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh. _Fuckin' fine._ When he opens his eyes, he looks at Veronica and Logan, taking a step back inside the house. "Fine," he sighs again. Shaking his head, he lets out a quiet, defeated laugh. "Come on in," he says, opening the door to let them inside.

Logan and Veronica exchange a look before heading inside. Jake closes the door and leads them into the living room. It's empty. Unlike when they first got to the estate, it is completely quiet. "Take a seat," Jake says, motioning towards the couches. He takes a seat himself, waiting for them to sit down. The two take a seat on the couch opposite him. Veronica sits, arms crossed, leaning back against the couch. Logan sits next to her, leaning back as well.

"Okay. So how did you find out about Duncan's condition?" Jake asks Logan and Veronica.

The two look at each other, Logan asking Veronica with his eyes what they should tell him. Veronica shrugs at him, but before Logan can say anything, she turns back to look at Jake. "I just found out about it, okay. But that's not what's really important, Mr. Kane. Duncan has been acting really weird lately."

Logan nods his head, looking over at Jake, who eyes them both with an odd expression on his face. "A-and exactly how weird has Duncan been acting?"

"The other day at school, he had a screaming match with Meg in the hallway. The Duncan we know would never do that. And he also didn't even stick around. He said some horrible things to Meg, slammed a locker, and left," Logan said. "And then he came by my house about a half hour ago. At first, he was acting normal, but then he started acting weird again when he saw that Veronica was over. He looked angry and confused, when he doesn't really have any reason to be."

Jake listened to Logan talk, eyebrows furrowed slightly. Every so often he would glance over at Veronica. When Logan finished talking, Jake closed his eyes for a moment, nodding his head. _So there's at least something I can explain to them_. He opened his eyes and looked at them both. "I'm not entirely sure why Duncan's been acting so strange. The most likely reason is that he's stopped taking his medications and has been having the side affects." He paused a moment, letting that sink in. "Yesterday, he… he had a fit and we couldn't calm him down in time." He shook his head. "He fell to the floor and hit his head pretty badly. We called his doctor over. He's fine, but the doctor said that it was possible for Duncan to have a bit of amnesia. He hadn't said or done anything for us to think he had it, so we had him take some of the medication the doctor prescribed for him. I'll have to double check and make sure he's actually taking his meds now though."

Veronica and Logan nodded. They had figured that Duncan hadn't been taking his medication and that was why he was acting so different lately. "I guess that makes sense. He must've forgotten some things that have happened in the past few days as a result of the fall," Veronica said.

"Yes," Jake said. "Duncan hasn't come back home yet. It's still early so it isn't much of a concern right now. However, if he doesn't come home tonight…" He trailed off, shaking his head. _Duncan will come back soon. He's not the type of kid to stay out all night… but still, just in case…_ "Do either of you have a clue where he might have gone after he left? I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure if he'd go to those places given the way you say he's been acting…"

Logan and Veronica turned to each other. Veronica shrugged. She wasn't too sure where he could've gone. _The beach? Maybe the library… I remember he'd go there when things got to be too much and he wanted some peace and quiet… but it's been so long and he's not himself right now. He might not go where I think he might._ As far as she knew, the way Duncan was acting now was making him out to be a very different person. Even before this started to happen, back when Lilly's death was still so fresh and Duncan had been so zombie-like, ignoring her and hardly speaking to anyone at all, Veronica felt like the Duncan she and Logan knew was slipping away. Like they were losing him like they lost Lilly… But at the same time, Veronica wanted to believe that not all was completely lost. That maybe there was still a bit of the old Duncan in there somewhere and all of this really was from the result of the medication side effects.

Logan was thinking much like Veronica was. He didn't know if Duncan would go to all of the places he'd usually go to. _The park that's close to the beach is a possibility… but I don't think he's been there in months… and he hasn't really been the type of best friend that actually talks about things in the past couple of months lately either._ Logan sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry, Mr. Kane. I can't think of anywhere other than the park by the beach that he used to go to," he said, shrugging. "So much has changed in the past couple of weeks, I'm not entirely sure he'd still go to the same places he used to."

Veronica sighed too. "I can't think of anywhere but the beach and the library." She shook her head.

"It's okay, kids. If he doesn't come home tonight, I'll have to go look for him… especially given that I'm not entirely sure the state he's in. But, I don't think that will be a problem," Jake said. Logan and Veronica sat there thinking while Jake watched them. _Wait a minute, since when are these two hanging out together? I thought Duncan had mentioned once that they hadn't talked amicably in almost a year…_ He was about to ask them about it, when Veronica's phone rang.

She looked at Logan before reaching in her bag to grab her phone. She looked at the caller ID. _Dad_. "Uhm, excuse me," she said, looking at Jake. Logan nodded once when she gave him one last glance before walking out of the living room into the hallway.

"Hey dad," she answered.

"Hey sweetie. How's your day been?" Keith asked.

 _Fine, though weird as hell at the same time_. "Oh, it's been alright. How's the case coming along?" she asked, genuinely interested.

"I've talked to a few of the people I needed to talk to, but it seems that I've forgotten a couple of pages from one of the files at the office. Honey, could you go to the office and fax them to me within an hour? I have a meeting in about twenty minutes, so I'd really like to have them faxed over by the time that's over."

"Sure thing. I'll head over to the office in about five minutes. Which pages from which file do you need?"

Once Keith gave her the pages and the file, they ended their phone call. But not after Keith once again reminded her to behave and not to have _anybody_ over at the apartment passed curfew. Veronica shook her head and smiled at her father's words. _Not entirely sure that rule will stick this weekend, dad_.

When she made it back to the living room, Jake and Logan were talking about some event that happened a couple of months ago. _Doesn't sound like really interesting conversation, though._

Logan and Jake stopped talking when they saw her enter the living room. Logan moved slightly forward in his seat as she walked over to where he was on the couch. She grinned at him as she grabbed her bag. "Uhm, so we kind of have to go now, Mr. Kane," she said, placing her bag over her shoulder. Logan and Jake stood up.

He nodded. "Alright. I'll make sure Duncan gets checked out. We can't have him hurting himself… or anyone else for that matter."

Veronica and Logan nodded and stood there awkwardly for a second, before Logan took her hand and began walking towards the door. "Uhh, see you around Mr. Kane," Logan said, pausing when they were standing next to Jake.

Nodding, Jake moved to the front door. Logan and Veronica followed. "Have a nice day," he said, rather awkwardly to them once he opened the door.

~~LoVe~~

Once the doors to the X-Terra were closed, they each let out a heavy sigh and leaned back into the seats. "Was that awkward, or what?" Logan said. He had his head resting back on the seat and his eyes were closed.

Veronica nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see. "Yeah, it was." She gave a small sigh, before turning to look over at Logan. He was still in the same state as before. He looked as though as had fallen asleep. However, he was tapping his fingers on the armrest between them. "You gonna take a nap now, or something?" she asked, placing a hand over his, stopping his tapping fingers.

He grinned and moved his head slightly in her direction, but didn't open his eyes. "Nahh. The Ice Bitch might come out and catch us." He finally opened his and smiled big. "Can't have that."

Veronica laughed softly, shaking her head. "No we cannot."

Logan looked passed her, over her shoulder, before asking, "Okay. So now what?"

"My dad called. He forgot some papers at the office and needs me to fax them over to him," she said.

Logan sighed heavily, closing his eyes and slumping his head back on his seat, facing the roof of the car. "Fiiine. I'll take you, but only if you ask nicely," he said, smirk forming on his lips as he opened his eyes and turned to look back at Veronica.

Veronica shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes. _This guy_. "Logan, will you _please_ drive me to the office?" she asked as nicely as she could muster, adding her head tilt and pouting slightly.

Logan grinned toothily. _Damn she is so cute_. "Okay," he said, leaning over to quickly kiss her pouting lips. Turning on the X-Terra, he drove them out of the Kane driveway, onto the road towards Mars Investigations.

~~LoVe~~

When they entered Mars Investigations, Veronica went straight to her dad's office. "It'll only take me two minutes tops," she said as she walked towards her dad's desk.

"Mmhmm," Logan hummed. He decided to just hang back and took a seat in the chair in front of Veronica's desk, putting his feet up on top of it.

Veronica quickly found the pages her dad needed and faxed them to the number he had given her. Once she was finished, she straightened up the stacks of files on her dad's desk before making her way back to the outer office. She found Logan leaning back in the chair he was sitting in, feet propped up on her desk, throwing a balled up piece of paper up in the air, catching it when it came back down. She leaned in the doorway. "You having fun there?" she asked, amused smile on her face.

Logan caught the balled up paper one more time before jumping to his feet. "Ehh," he shrugged, tossing the paper ball into the waste basket that sat by the desk. "All done?"

Veronica moved from the doorway, walking over towards Logan. "Yup," she said, nodding.

"Cool," Logan said, taking her hand and pulling her towards him. He kissed her cheek, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Hungry?" he asked, nuzzling her neck.

"Hmmm," Veronica hummed against Logan's cheek, kissing him there. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Do you really have to ask?"

He chuckled against her neck, burying his head deeper, hugging her tight. Veronica could feel the vibrations rattle through her and hugged him back. He kissed her cheek again. Then her lips. "Let's go get some grub, then," he mumbled against her lips.

Smiling, Veronica kissed him quickly. "Let's go," she said, pulling back and bending to grab her bag that had fallen to the floor.

They left Mars Investigations and went to grab some food. They'd decided on tacos. Instead of eating them at the taco place, they headed back to Logan's. However, they didn't really get to enjoy their food like they'd wanted to.

"What the hell?" Logan murmured as he pulled into the driveway. There were a few firefighters and deputies from the Sheriff's department. Veronica and Logan shared a confused look before they got out of the X-Terra.

Aaron headed over towards them, angry look on his face. He was initially walking quickly, red-faced towards Logan, but then he saw that Veronica was with him and tried to calm down a bit. _I can't do this out here where everyone can see. I'll just wait until later_. He slowed his pace a bit and unclenched his fists. "Logan," he said.

"Dad, uhh, what's going on?" Logan asked. He and Veronica were standing side by side in front of Aaron, holding hands. Logan was holding the bag of tacos.

Aaron glanced at each of them, before turning towards the mansion. A few deputies were talking and writing things down on note pads by the open front door, while there were a few firefighters by the side of the mansion holding a hose and fire distinguishers. Aaron cleared his throat before speaking again. "It looks like there was a little fire on this side of the house," he said, pointing to the side of the mansion by the pool and pool house. "The fire department said there wasn't all that much damage, but we aren't allowed back into the house right now." He turned back towards Logan and Veronica. "They're going to spend a few hours checking to see what started the fire and the full extent of the damage. Security is also gonna check the cameras. See if they got the person who did it on tape."

Logan and Veronica stood there shocked, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. Neither could really speak right now. All Logan could do was nod. Aaron mentally rolled his eyes. "I booked a room at the Neptune Grand for tonight and tomorrow. They said we couldn't go inside, but they're letting us go in with a fireman to accompany us while we pack a bag. I already have mine," he said, before turning to pick up a duffle bag by the front steps. He gave them one final look before putting on his sunglasses and walking towards his car.

Logan watched his dad drive out of the driveway before turning to take a look at the house. Veronica was already looking at the outside visible damage to the mansion. "Who do you think did this?" Veronica asked quietly.

She felt Logan shrug before he said, "I don't know."

* * *

So, what did you guys think about this one? Leave your thoughts in the reviews, please!

Peace and LoVe.

Always.

XOXO


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

 **Chapter Word Count** : 2,989

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

* * *

Two deputies came towards Logan and Veronica. "We need to ask you a few questions," one of them said. The two of them nodded at the deputies. "What time were you here and did you see anyone who could have started the fire?"

"We were here for a while. We left about an hour ago and just came back," Logan answered. The two deputies turned to Veronica, eyebrows raised. She nodded along to what Logan said.

"Yeah, we went over to the Kane's and then Mars Investigations," Veronica said. _Gotta be specific. Like you're talking to a three year old._

The deputies took notes. They asked them a few more questions, mostly irrelevant to what happened, and then a fireman walked over, ready to escort Logan to his room to pack a bag. "Ill be back in a couple minutes okay," he said, squeezing Veronica's hand and handing her the bag of tacos. She gave him a small smile, nodding, and squeezed his hand back.

While Logan went inside, Veronica waited by the X-Terra, thinking. _Who would set fire to Logan's house? Seriously, who would have reason to?_ Veronica sighed. _At least no one was hurt._ She was leaning against the passenger side, thinking of possible scenarios when her phone beeped. She reached into her bag and took it out.

6:41 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _Hey, V. Moms wants 2 know if u wanna come over 4 dinner?_

Veronica smiled. _A few months ago, Mrs. Fennel hated me hanging out with Wallace. But ever since she and dad have been going out... Well, it's just been way better these days_.

6:42 To Wallace From Veronica:

 _Can't. Hav plans_.

6:44 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _Lemme guess. Logan again?_

Veronica sighed. _Wallace might be feeling left out. I've been spending so much more time with Logan these days... but I do have a good reason. For today, at least. I'll just make sure to make it up to him_.

6:45 To Wallace From Veronica:

 _Yeah, someone set fire to his place. Not a lot of damage tho._

6:46 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _Damn! Everyone ok?_

6:46 To Wallace From Veronica:

 _Yeah. Nobody was hurt_.

6:47 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _Well tht's good. Anyways, I guess I'll c u l8r_

6:48 To Wallace From Veronica:

 _Wanna come over 2moro? Pizza, ice cream & movies?_

6:48 To Veronica From Wallace:

 _Hells yeah girl! C u 2moro then :p_

6:49 To Wallace From Veronica:

 _C ya papa bear :)_

Veronica was just hitting send on that last text message to Wallace when Logan came back outside. He had his backpack and a duffle bag with him. When Veronica looked up and saw him walking towards her, they smiled to each other. "Got everything you need?" Veronica asked.

Nodding, Logan said, "Yup." He took out his keys and unlocked the doors. They got inside and Logan tossed his bags into the back seat. "So, it looks like my place is no longer an option for our little meeting tonight," he says, turning on the car. "I'm thinking we should just cancel that and maybe just meet during school on Monday or something," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah," Veronica sighed. "That's probably a good idea. Maybe not at school, but Monday might be better."

Logan nods, taking out his phone and quickly sending everyone a text about their canceled plans. "So... Your place?" he asks pulling out of the driveway and onto the road.

"Yeah, sure," she says, sighing. "We'll have to reheat the tacos. They're probably all cold now."

Logan drives them to Veronica's apartment. When they get there, Veronica makes her way inside right away. Logan, who was walking behind her, notices the mail in their mailbox. "Hey, Ronnie. You got some mail," he says, grabbing the stack of envelopes for her. They all look like the normal-sized envelopes anyone would get, but there's one that's bigger than the others. _I wonder what that's for_.

"Oh, thanks," Veronica says when Logan gives her the mail. She doesn't bother looking at what they are yet, dropping them onto the coffee table. She has the tacos reheating and already has their plates and drinks placed on the island countertop. _Well, it looks like someone is hungry_. Logan grins. When the tacos are finished reheating, Veronica grabs them and distributes them onto their plates. They dig in, both clearing their plates in a matter of minutes. _Wow, I hadn't even realized I was that hungry_. They throw away the garbage and move to sit on the couch. They both sigh heavily when they fall onto the couch. They're both full of food and just sit back for a while.

Veronica leans back and stretches in her seat on the couch, Logan leaning his head back. _Hmmm. So, Veronica, what a day so far, huh?_ Veronica sighs, rolling her head back and forth once, her eyes closed. _It started out so nice, hanging out at Wallace's. And then it got a little tense at Logan's… Ugh, and then Duncan happened… At least we know why he acted like he didn't know why Logan and I would be hanging out._ Veronica opens her eyes, staring out into the living room. She glances over at Logan briefly, seeing that he has his eyes closed. He's not asleep. She can tell because he's tapping his fingers on his leg. _And then when we got to Logan's there had been a fire… Who would want to do that? Why would—_

Veronica's thoughts are put to a stop when she sees a big yellow envelope on the coffee table. _Is that what I think it is?_ She sits up, moving forward to grab the envelope. She bypasses all of the other envelopes. _Clearly all are just bills_. She takes the envelope and looks at the sender's address. _It's the paternity test results._ She feels Logan moving on the couch next to her and she's unsure of what to do next. If she moves it away, he'll know something is up… and if she shows it to him… _Can I really tell him about it? What if he—_

 _'_ _Oh no, Veronica Mars! You are not shutting him out!'_ She could hear Lilly's voice loud and clear, like if she was sitting right beside her. ' _You are going to talk about this with him! You know he'll find out eventually. It's the way he is. If he notices that you're keeping something away from him, things can only get bad between you two. You've got to trust him. Trust that he won't tell anyone your secret. Besides, you two are so damn cute now. You guys are happy. The happiest in a long time. C'mon, admit it! … If you keep things from each other, that happiness? That connection you feel with him? It's gonna start to crumble. I don't want to see you hurting, Ronica. Please let him in.'_

Veronica sighs, sitting back in the couch. _Fine. I guess I'll 'fess up if I have to._ She stares down at the envelope and Logan stares at her, glancing every now and then towards the envelope in her hands. "Hey," he says softly, gently nudging her arm. "Are you okay?" He shifts on the couch so that he's slightly sideways, able to look at her better.

Veronica closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Yeah," she says, quietly.

He can tell something is wrong. He looks a little more closely at the envelope. The writing is large enough that he doesn't have to move forward to read it better. _A paternity test company? Why would Veronica need that? A case?_ He looks back at Veronica. She has a troubled look on her face now. _No, it can't just be for a case. She wouldn't look like this if it was just for a case_. "Paternity test results?" he says in a questioning tone, pointing at the envelope. Veronica looks up at him. Logan has a feeling he knows the answer, but he asks the question anyway. "Is it for a case?"

Veronica looks down, biting her lower lip. She closes her eyes for a moment, taking in another deep breath. ' _C'mon Ronica. You're a strong woman. You can do this_.' "No," she says, looking back up at Logan. "It's not for a case."

Logan's eyebrows furrow a bit. He's confused, although deep down he might have an idea what the results are for. He just doesn't want to think about it.

Veronica sighs. She can see that Logan wants to ask her what it's for, but for whatever reason he's holding back. She nods once, moving to mirror Logan's position on the couch. Now they sit, face to face.

"Uhm… So," she sighs, looking down at her lap. "Back in high school, my mom and Jake Kane went to Neptune High together." She glances up at Logan, and his eyebrows are furrowed, clearly confused as to why she's telling him this. "Apparently they were king and queen of the prom…"

Logan nodded. "Mmhmm." _Why is she telling me about her mom and Jake Kane's time in high school?_

Veronica sighed. _Why does this have to be so hard to say?_ She shook her head slightly. "They uh- They were high school sweethearts or something until Celeste came into the picture and… I don't know what it was, but…" She looked away, to the side, giving a quiet laugh. "I guess it didn't matter to them that they were both married to other people." She sighed again, looking down at her hands, the envelope laying on her lap.

Logan reached out and took her hands in his, trying to offer some comfort. He could tell that this was hard for her to talk about. Veronica looked at their hands for a moment before looking up at him. "My dad might not be my dad," she whispered, eyes watery.

Logan couldn't believe it. His facial expression as one of shock. _Her dad might not be her dad? Then why was she talking about Ja—._ His eyes widened even more. _Her mom cheated on her dad didn't she?! With Mr. Kane! Wait, so then that could mean—._ " might be your dad," he whispered in disbelief.

All Veronica could do was nod her head. The tears were threatening to spill over. She didn't know how long she could keep it together. She didn't much time to really decide, though. Logan moved forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. She held onto him, resting her head on his chest, and took comfort in the warmth he provided. She tried hard, but it didn't work. The way Logan immediately moved to make her feel better got to her. The flood gates opened.

It was ten minutes later and they were still in the same position. Veronica had stopped crying, but didn't let go of Logan, and he wasn't about to pull away anytime soon either. ' _See, Ronica. I told you! Logan will be there for you…'_ Apart from Logan's soothing words of comfort, Veronica would also occasionally hear Lilly's input on the situation. She didn't mind it much.

Sighing, Veronica buried her face in Logan's chest for one more moment, closing her eyes, before moving slightly back from him. She blew out a breath and smiled weakly up at him. "Thanks," she said, quietly.

Logan smiled down at her, moving forward so he could rest his forehead on hers. "Anytime," he said, mirroring her quiet tone. When he moved slightly away from Veronica, Logan saw the envelope, now on the floor. Veronica caught his line of sight and looked down. Sighing, she reached over and picked it up. She stared at it for a minute again, holding the envelope in her lap. Logan covered one of her hands with his. "Are you gonna open it?" he asked, again in the quiet tone they've been speaking in.

Veronica bit her lip, eyebrows furrowing. _Do I really want to open it? What if the results aren't what I want them to be? I don't know what I'd do if these results tell me that Dad isn't really my dad. He means everything to me…_

Logan could see her war with her thoughts by her facial expression. He mentally sighed. _She's one of the strongest— No, scratch that. She is the strongest person I know… But even so, could this, the paternity test results, if they don't tell her that Keith is her biological father, could this be what breaks her?_ Tentatively, he raises a hand to her face, gently nudging her face up to look at him. When they make eye contact, he asks, "Want me to open it?"

Veronica wants to open her mouth, tell him that he has no right to read the results, but she stops herself before the thought to do so is even fully processed. _Maybe Lilly really is right about this. Maybe letting Logan in will be good. I sure don't think I'd be able to open the results. No matter how much I want to know the truth…_ Veronica nods and lifts the envelope up, handing it to him.

For a split second Logan is shocked that Veronica is actually letting him do this for her. _She probably doesn't really even want to know the results yet. I bet if she'd been alone when she got them, she'd think twice about it and end up shredding the papers._ He nods once, taking a deep breath. Carefully, he rips the envelope open. He takes out the few pages there are, reading over the words carefully. Every now and then he glances up at Veronica. She's watching him intently, biting her lower lip, worried expression on her face.

He reads the entire thing. He got the answer on the first page, but he didn't want to take any chances that for some weird reason they changed their answer on another page. When he was done, he laid it down on his lap and looked up at Veronica, calm, straight face in place. She still looked worried, but more so now. "What did it say?" she asked, hesitantly. _Please, please, please. Don't do this to me._

Logan still had on a straight face as he grabbed her hands in his. He leaned in closer. When they were almost nose to nose, his face broke out into a smile. "Your dad is your dad, Veronica."

Smiling so wide she felt like her face might break, Veronica launched herself onto Logan. She hugged him close, happy that the results came to be what she'd hoped. She felt like the hugest weight was lifted from her shoulders. She laughed and cried tears of joy and Logan laughed softly with her. He was happy that she was happy. He didn't know what he'd have done if the results had been negative. Keith was an amazing father to Veronica and he knew how much she loves him. Anything tainting that with negative paternity test results would have been really hard on her.

A few minutes passed before they finally moved out of their tight embrace, though they still sat close to each other. Veronica's face was full of joy and relief. She wipes away a few tears and sniffles. "Thanks, Logan," she said, softly, taking one of his hands and intertwining them.

He smiles, squeezing her hand. "Hey… like I said," he says, softly, leaning his forehead on hers. "Anytime."

Veronica smiles at him before leaning in to kiss him. It's slow at first with little soft kisses, but begins to build up heat within seconds. Veronica leans into Logan, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Logan leans back slowly, bringing Veronica closer. She moves to straddle him and Logan wraps his arms around her, pulling her even closer. Veronica moves her hands up through Logan's hair and down his cheeks, caressing his face. Logan, wrapping an arm tighter around Veronica's waist, moves the other to her hair. He gently brings her closer, deepening the kiss.

They eventually separate, both very much needing oxygen, and rest their foreheads together. They breathe heavily for a few minutes, trying to catch their breaths. Neither say anything for a while, just taking in the feeling of the other.

"So, are you gonna go stay at the Grand with your dad?" Veronica asks after a while. She rests her hands on his shoulders and moves back a little bit, putting a little space between them.

Logan lets out a sigh, leaning his head back onto the couch. _There's no way in hell that I'm staying over there with him_. He looks up at Veronica, saying, "Nahh. I don't think so." He runs a hand through his hair, before moving it back to rest on Veronica's waist. He glances away before looking back at her. He gives a little shrug. "I'll probably just stay with Dick or something."

Veronica nods. _Dad said nobody over passed curfew… But dad's not here._ She glances over to her right, where Backup sleeps soundly on the floor. _And Backup is not a tattle tale_. She looks at Logan, thinking for a moment. "Mmmm… You, uhm, you maybe want to stay here?" she asks, hesitantly, looking down at his shoulder as she fidgets with the collar of his shirt.

Logan's eyes widen a bit. _She's asking me to sleep over?!_ He looks away, almost bashful, a smile beginning to form on his face. When he looks back, she's watching him, biting her lower lip. He leans forward and kisses her deeply. "You bet I do," he says, smiling, once they break apart.

Veronica smiles back, nodding and kisses him again. "Okay," she sighs. "Wanna watch a movie or something?" she asks, pulling back a little.

Logan nods. "Yeah. Sounds good."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,200

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hey everyone! How were your holidays? I hope you all had wonderful ones! I can't believe that the year is already almost over! Anyways, here's the next chapter. Read on!

* * *

Before they got comfortable on the couch to watch the movie - _South Park of course_ \- Logan offered to make a quick run to the grocery store for some ice cream and brownies. Veronica's face lit up with a smile. _Like I'd ever turn down ice cream and brownies_.

While Logan went out for their desserts, Veronica headed into her room, Backup on her heals. She patted his head when he laid down next to her bed, watching as she walked over to her closet. She changed into a pair of grey sweats and pink t-shirt before grabbing a big, soft blanket for them to share.

She walked back out to the living room, with Backup following her again. She smiled down at him as she got things ready. She set the blanket down on the couch, put away all of the mail, and cleaned up the kitchen a bit while she waited for Logan.

She was trying to keep herself busy, so as not to think too much about the fact that Logan would be spending the night for the first time. _Calm yourself down, Veronica. You know Logan wouldn't try anything anyway… He's not like that. Besides, it's not like we've never shared a bed and everything. All of those times we stayed over at the Kane's we always somehow found ourselves falling asleep right next to each other. Snuggling against each other. Even when the four of us were coupled up, Logan and I would wake up cuddling._ Veronica leaned against the kitchen counter, staring off into space. Try as she might, she couldn't calm her nerves. _But those times were when we were just friends._ ** _Only_** _friends. Now, though… We're so much more than_ ** _just_** **_friends_** _._ She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of a car door slamming closed. _Must be Logan. Nothing to be worried about. Just calm down_. There was a knock on the door. _Okay Mars. Ready?_

She walked over to the door and opened it. When she did, she found Logan with his hands very full. He was holding two bags full of ice cream tubs and boxes of brownies in one hand and another bag with what looked like strawberries and his duffle bag in the other. He also carried his backpack on his shoulders. When she looked up at him he gave her a small smile.

"Went all out, huh?" she said, taking two bags from him. He grinned, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she did so.

"Well if memory serves, you do enjoy to eat almost your whole weight in ice cream. And when there's brownies or cookies of any kind, you somehow have the ability to make even more room in that tiny body of yours," he teased, winking at her.

Veronica was still holding the bags in her hands so she couldn't smack his arm like she'd like to. She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him as she backed up into the apartment. "So then you wouldn't mind dessert for one then, right?" she asked, tilting her head. They were both inside the apartment by now. Logan closed the door behind him gently with his foot never looking away from her. He tossed his duffle bag and backpack onto the floor by the door.

"Hmmm. Well that would be hard for you, now wouldn't it? I mean, I am the one holding the bag full of ice cream," he said, shifting closer.

Veronica grinned, staying where she was, back against the kitchen island. "True as that may be, if memory serves, _you're_ the one who couldn't eat his ice cream without strawberries. Which is what I have," she said, feigning a gasp and lifting the bag of strawberries up so he could see.

Logan glanced at the bag of strawberries and let out a soft sigh. _When the girl's right, she's right_. He looked up and moved a little bit closer so that they were less than a few inches form each other. "Well then I guess we'll have to come to a compromise, now don't we," he said, placing the bag of ice cream and brownies onto the counter behind Veronica, his eyes never leaving hers. She was still holding the other two bags, so he took those and placed those onto the counter as well.

The entire time this was happening, Veronica tried to keep her calm. _Come on, it's not like you haven't spent alone time with him before or been this close to him, Veronica. Just breathe_. She made sure her breathing was even and normal, even though the closer Logan got the faster her heart pounded in her chest.

Logan wrapped his arms around Veronica's waist and pulled her closer. Her hands immediately went to rest on his chest, and by that she knew he felt it too. She could feel his heart beating fast and then she realized: tonight would be a turning point for the both of them. Something or nothing might happen, but nonetheless, tonight would mean something.

"We could go halvesies," Logan whispered, bringing Veronica back from her thoughts.

She smirked, tilting her head up to look at him. She could see the twinkle in his eyes, no doubt mirroring the same in her own. "Only halvesies?"she teased, moving her hands up his chest so she could wrap her arms around his neck. "Because I was thinking something a little more along the lines of a 40-60 split," she whispered back.

Logan leaned down a little, their noses touching now. "Fine," he sighed and Veronica could feel his warm breath on her face. "I guess I can live with that," he whispered, leaning in further, resting his forehead against hers.

The mixture of their warm breaths and close proximity was too much. Veronica pulled Logan closer. "Good," she whispered before closing the almost inexistent space between them. She sighed into the kiss, moving her fingers through his hair slowly, reveling in its softness. Logan moved his hands up and down her back, pulling her even closer. _Is that even possible?_ He deepened the kiss, tongue prodding the seam of her lips and she eagerly let him in.

When they needed oxygen, they pulled apart, but that didn't stop Logan. He started leaving soft, hot kisses along her cheeks and neck, occasionally biting gently. Veronica let out soft sounds of pleasure. She grasped at his shoulders and hair, wanting him closer. She moved so she could kiss him again, this time hard and hot. Logan's hands roamed along her back, one moving to her thigh, pulling her to him. Veronica sighed contentedly at his touch. Making out with Logan has always been very good, but this was starting to get into even better territory. _He is such a good kisser. I don't know if I ever want this to stop._ She kissed his cheek. His neck. Anywhere she found skin. Always making her way back to his lips. _His soft lips._

Their make out session was stopped short, however, by a hungry Backup, who moved in between them. _How did he even manage that?_ The pair separated, breathing heavily and looked down at him. He was sitting at their feet, wagging his tail, not even a little bit sorry for interrupting. He barked once before moving to where his food bowl was.

Veronica licked her lips and tried to get her breathing back to normal. _Dammit Backup._ She gave him a small smile. "Sorry," she whispered, kissing his cheek before moving to fill Backup's food bowl. Logan watched as she turned to grab the dog food and then turned to look over at Backup. He gently shook his head and let out a soft sigh. _Dogs, man._

While Veronica fed Backup, Logan decided to empty out the grocery bags. He grabbed two bowls from the cupboard and some spoons and placed them on the counter. Veronica came back over to him as he was opening the tubs of ice cream, dog food put away and dog happily eating.

She smiled. "Hey," she said, grabbing the strawberries.

Logan smiled back. "Hey." She walked around him, bumping her hip against his on her way to the sink. She quickly washed the strawberries and walked back to the counter. Logan had scooped the ice cream into their bowls already, on top of the brownies. "So, you gonna want strawberries?" he asked, taking the knife Veronica had just taken out. She gave him an _are-you-seriously-asking-me-that_ look, so he said, "Right," he sighed. "Why did I even ask?" he laughed softly, cutting the strawberries into small pieces.

Veronica smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking over to the refrigerator. Logan smiled and glanced over at her. She opened the refrigerator and looked inside. When she found what she was looking for, she turned around. "Hey, looks like we've got chocolate syrup and whipped cream," she said, placing the two items on the counter. She grabbed a bowl and began adding syrup and whipped cream to it.

"Wouldn't be brownie ice cream sundaes without them," Logan said, adding to his sundae once Veronica was done adding to hers.

They put everything away before heading to the couch. But before sitting down, Logan grabbed his duffle bag. "Uhm, I'm gonna go change real quick first," he said, motioning towards the bathroom with his head. He'd noticed how Veronica had changed when he came back from the store, but hadn't had time to change right away. _Wouldn't have anyways. That time was spent doing much better things than changing into my pajamas._ Veronica grinned, nodding as she sat and made herself comfortable on the couch. Logan nodded once before moving to go change. Veronica scooped a bit of ice cream into her mouth as she watched him walk away.

When she looked away from the direction Logan had gone, she saw Backup was now sitting in front of her, but by the television. He would look at her and then at the bowl of ice cream, and then back at her. She shook her head and laughed. "Sorry, buddy. No ice cream for you tonight," she said, leaning over to pat him on the head. He let out a small noise that almost sounded like a whine and then moved to lay down.

When Logan came out, he set his duffle bag down against the arm chair. He had changed into maroon and black plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He grinned at the sight of Veronica on the couch eating ice cream. She was already almost halfway finished. _And we haven't even started watching the movie yet_. He grabbed his bowl from the counter and walked towards the couch, sitting snug against Veronica. They shared a smile before Veronica grabbed the remote to start the movie.

~~LoVe~~

Only about ten minutes after the movie started, Veronica had finished her sundae. _How and where?_ Logan smiled as she leaned to set the empty bowl on the coffee table. He was barely halfway finished. _And I'm already getting full._ He sighed. _There's no way I'll finish this. Should I even try to?_ He was pulled from his thoughts when Veronica moved. She shifted so she could snuggle against him, leaning her head on his shoulder. _Yeah I'm not gonna finish this sundae_.

It was as if Veronica could read his mind, because she watched as he lowered the bowl away from him, staring at it. "You gonna finish it?" she asked softly, tilting her head up so she could see him.

He smirked and shook his head. "Nahh. Not all of us have ten stomachs so we can eat our weight in food and ice cream," he teased. She smacked him lightly on his arm and he chuckled. "What?" he asked, looking at her. Eyebrow raised, she was shaking her head slightly, biting her lower lip. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you want the rest?" he asked, mostly joking. But she looked down at the bowl. _Is she actually thinking about it!?_ She looked back at him and shook her head though, with slightly narrowed eyes. He smirked as he placed the bowl on the coffee table.

When he leaned back into the couch, he shifted so he could put his arm around Veronica. She happily moved to accommodate for his arm, tugging on his hand to wrap around tighter. She laid her head back onto his shoulder. Smiling, Logan leaned down and kissed the top of her head, before pulling her closer, moving her so that she was sitting sideways on his lap. Veronica smiled against his shoulder, moving a hand across his abdomen, resting it against his side.

They watched the movie in that same position, both too content and comfortable to move even an inch.

~~LoVe~~

About a half an hour later, Veronica's phone began to ring. She had been halfway asleep, comforted by Logan's warmth, so she almost didn't even hear it if Logan hadn't gently shaken her awake. She looked around a moment, trying to remember where her phone was. _Bag_. Her bag was on the floor by the couch, so she leaned over and took her phone out. _Dad_.

"Hey, dad," she greeted. She yawned as she looked over at the clock. _10:47 PM. It's not that late_.

"Hi, honey. Did I wake you?" he asked.

She smiled, leaning back comfortably against Logan. He was watching the movie still, but she knew he was listening to her conversation. "Not really. No," she said, sighing softly.

"Hmmm. Well, anyway. I'm sorry for calling this late, but I wanted to say good night and ask how your day was."

Veronica sighed. _How my day was? Well that could take a while_. "Oh, you know. The usual," she said, hoping her dad would just let it be. She was still a little shell-shocked from the paternity test results from earlier, albeit she was happy that her dad was really her dad, but still. It had been an emotional day.

"The usual?" _Yeah, wasn't very likely._ She rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back a smile. _Dad's just being dad._

"Okay, fine. I hung out with Wallace and Logan today." _Still hanging out with Logan, who will be spending the night, but he doesn't need to know that_.

"Mmhmm." She could tell her dad was a little skeptical, but he didn't push. "Well then I must say good night. I have to get up a little early tomorrow. So, good night, honey. Sleep tight... In _your_ bed... _Alone_ ," he said, emphasizing a few words.

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course dad. Good night."

She heard her dad let out a sigh. "Alright then honey. Goodbye. Love you."

"Love you too dad. Bye," she said. She hung up her phone and set it down onto the coffee table before curling back onto Logan's lap.

He squeezed her shoulders slightly. "Everything okay with your dad?" he asked softly.

Veronica smiled. "Yeah," she sighed happily. "He was just checking in. To say goodnight."

She felt Logan nod. "Okay," he whispered, kissing her on her forehead. She reached around for the blanket she'd grabbed earlier. When she found it, she laid it over them so they could continue watching the movie more comfortably.

Logan leaned against the couch and sighed, content. _Who would have thought that this would be how I'd spend my Saturday night? With Veronica Mars! My girlfriend!_ Logan grinned into Veronica's hair, turning so his cheek rested on top of her head and he could watch the movie. Sitting on the couch in the Mars' Apartment, watching the South Park movie — _for what feels like the thousandth time, but hey I'm not complaining_ — with Veronica sitting on his lap, Logan couldn't think of a better way to spend his night.

~~LoVe~~

The two watched the movie in comfortable silence, occasionally laughing and making comments. Logan noticed Veronica began to get quieter and wasn't responding as much and when he laughed softly, saying something funny to her about something Cartman said, she didn't say anything. He moved slightly to get a look at her face and saw that she'd fallen asleep. He smiled and gently kissed her forehead. She moved slightly in response to his touch, burying herself further into Logan's embrace. For a few minutes, Logan watched her sleep snug against him. He debated on whether or not to move her yet. The movie would be over in a couple of minutes, so he decided he'd wait to take her to her bed.

A few minutes later, Logan reached for the remote and turned off the television. He wrapped the arm he had around her shoulders a little tighter, placing his other arm under her knees. He stood up carefully, making sure the blanket didn't fall to the floor. Veronica stirred slightly, but didn't wake. Logan walked towards her bedroom. He noticed that Backup looked up sleepily from his spot on the floor by the couch. At first, he moved slightly, as if to get up, but when he realized that it was only Logan, he laid back down. He fell back asleep almost immediately.

When Logan entered Veronica's room, it was pretty dark. He couldn't really see much, but there was a little bit of light coming from outside. It was enough for him to see where he was going. When he hit the edge of Veronica's bed, he gently laid her down, careful not to wake her. However, when he began to pull away, she stirred. "Logan?" she said, sleepily. She began to open her eyes a little bit.

"Shhh. Go back to sleep Veronica," Logan whispered. He began to tuck her in, fixing the blanket that covered her.

When Logan moved to leave the room, Veronica grabbed his forearm, pulling him towards her. "No, stay," she said.

Logan knew she was still half asleep and didn't know what to do. _What if when we wake up in the morning, she doesn't remember asking me to stay with her in her room? She's half asleep. She might think she's just dreaming._ Logan stood there for a moment, not moving. Veronica seemed to wake a little bit more and moved to rest on her elbows. "Come on. Sleep. It's late." She pulled on Logan's arm a little harder this time.

Logan complied this time. He laid down on his back, pulling the blanket around them both, and when Veronica snuggled against his side, he wrapped an arm around her back. She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist, taking hold of Logan's hand and intertwining their fingers. "Goodnight, Logan," she whispered.

Since the bed is usually only occupied by one small, petite blond, it was a bit too small to fit them both comfortably. _Yeah right. I'd say this is pretty damn comfortable_. Logan sighed, small grin forming on his face. He stroked Veronica's hair softly. He kissed her forehead. "Goodnight Veronica," he whispered back.

It was the quickest either of them had ever fallen asleep.

* * *

So, I know that VM is noir and that there wouldn't be so much happy times in it as there is in this story. So I'm going to start (trying) to adding some more dark(ish) stuff in upcoming chapters.

In case anyone is wondering how long this story will be: I have no idea. At first, I had an outline/notes on how I wanted this story to go, but that covered pretty much only the first couple of chapters, really. I find that I just write on the spot. I don't have outlines for upcoming chapters, just notes on certain stuff I want to happen. I just fill in the gaps with whatever comes to mind and make it work.

Well, anyways. What did you guys think of the chapter? I just love cute, lovey dovey LoVe. :) Who doesn't, am I right? But, seriously folks, reviews are wonderful! _Please_ , let me know what you think of the chapter, the story, something you want to see happen in the future...

Also, I'd like to say Thank You to you all! There are over 100 reviews for this story and I'm just so damn happy and proud. :)

Peace and LoVe! XOXO


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

 **Chapter Word Count** : 4,867

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Sorry for posting a little later than usual. I had a hard time writing some parts of the chapter. But it's done and here now, so read away!

* * *

 _There are people. A lot of people. They are all milling throughout this house. Mansion. So many people._ ** _Why are there so many people?_** _Cups and beer bottles litter the floor and the tables. There's music and different-colored lights._ ** _Oh, that's why._** _Logan tries to walk through the hordes of partiers. Through the windows he can see even more people. They're dancing. Some are in the pool. Others in the hot tub. Some play beer pong. And others just sit and watch the drunks make fools of themselves._

 _Logan makes it outside. Some people turn to watch him, whispering, but he ignores them all. He's here for something._ ** _But what is it? I can't remember…_** _The further he walks, the slower things seem to move. Even he feels sluggish and his vision blurs every now and then._ ** _Am I drunk?_** _He looks down at his hands, and sure enough he's holding an almost empty bottle of vodka._ ** _Did I drink all of this?_** _He looks up, looks around, tries to find someone he recognizes. He walks in the direction of the outside bar and he sees Dick, Beaver, Duncan, Luke and Sean. They're taking shots._ ** _Wait, since when does Duncan take shots willingly?_** _The closer he gets, the more he sees._ ** _Hold on a second. I'm at Shelley's party from last year, aren't I?_** _Logan stops walking and looks around again for a moment. This time, when his vision blurs, he just hopes for it to pass, squinting and blinking, trying to make out what and who he is looking at. It works, and he's able to see clearly. But then all of a sudden everything gets dark. He can still hear the sounds of the party, but everything around him has gone black. He can't see._

 _He makes his way blindly, walking slowly, cautious of his surroundings._ ** _No way do I want to end up in the pool somehow_** _. He's walking when his right arm hits something. Someone. The lights seem to turn on slowly again. Everything around him is still a little dark, but it's not as bad as it was before. He squints his eyes to see who he bumped into. It takes him a few moments, before he realizes. Veronica._

 _She's walking past him in that white dress. She doesn't look at him, or at anybody else really. He reaches out for her before she can get away, but he can't move. Nothing but his head. He's watching her as she goes, desperately trying to break free of whatever is keeping him from moving towards her. "Veronica!" he yells, but she doesn't turn. She doesn't even pause at the sound of his voice. "Veronica!" he yells again, but its fruitless. She doesn't hear him. He looks around and he sees Dick and Duncan again. They're drinking beers next to the bar. He's only about two feet away from them. "Hey guys!" he calls to them, trying to get their attention, but they don't stop their conversation. They don't even glance in his direction. They don't hear him._

 _Things go black again. Logan still can't move. He's stuck and no matter what he does, he can't break free._

 _When there's some light again, he doesn't bother trying to move this time. He waits. He looks around and somehow he's back inside the damn house._ ** _What the hell is going on!?_** _He tries to move his feet, and thankfully he can. Walking towards the door, he notices a group of people in one spot by the pool._ ** _What the?_** _His eyes go wide._ ** _Oh no! Veronica!_** _He tries to get over quickly, but he can't run. He can only walk there._ ** _But so fucking slowly._** _He can see himself though. Doing body shots off of her. Letting other people do body shots. He tries to shut his eyes, but he can't. He can't do this. He can't bear to watch himself be such an asshole, jerk, monster towards Veronica._ ** _What kind of hell…_**

 _Next thing he knows, he's back inside the house._ ** _Again._** _He shouts in frustration, but no one turns._ ** _They can't hear me. Can they even see me?_** _It doesn't matter. He sees Veronica again. She's being carried upstairs, but he can't see who it is that's taking her. She looks passed out._ ** _God dammit! I need to help her!_** _When Logan moves, he can't run again. All he can do is walk, and not even fast walk. By the time he gets upstairs, they're gone. The hallway of rooms seems to stretch on forever._ ** _Oh my god! Now how am I going to find her!?_** _He moves, quickly walking door to door, peeking inside, trying to find Veronica. He feels like he's been here forever, and then he sees it. A dark figure. He can't make out who it is, but they're leaving a room, and somehow he knows. He just knows that's where Veronica is. He goes over and tries to open the door, but it's locked. He's turning the damn doorknob, hitting, slamming on the door. Yelling and kicking. But nothing helps._

 _Then he hears something. It's faint, but he can hear it. Someone is calling his name. It's not coming from inside the room though. It's coming from somewhere behind him. He slowly turns, trying to put a name to the voice. As time passes, the voice gets closer. He can't tell if it's coming from his left or from his right. Logan looks to both sides, but it's too dark to see anything clearly. He's moving, and then all of a sudden he hits the door with his back. The voice gets louder and louder, engulfing him in sound._ ** _What the fuck is this!?_** _It's at a point where the voice is yelling, and then it stops. Silence. Logan breathes deeply. He's tired and has no idea what's going on. When he takes a step away from the door, he gets knocked out._

Logan wakes up in a cold sweat. He's breathing heavily. _What the fuck was that?_ He looks around, taking in his surroundings. He sees Veronica's sleeping form on his chest, and he relaxes. _It was just a dream, a nightmare, but, fuck, there was shit I couldn't just make up._ He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment. _Okay, Logan. Calm down. You're with Veronica right now. You're both fine now. Everything's okay._ He opens his eyes and stares at the ceiling.

So much is going through his mind right now. He can't stop thinking about Shelley's party from last year. How he acted towards Veronica. How he allowed for things to go too far. He can't believe she's even with him right now. _I know I wouldn't want to have anything to do with me after everything I've done._ Logan sighs and wonders how Veronica got through it all. _Alone_. He knows she never told anyone about what really happened that night. _Or did she?_ He doesn't have a clue. He sighs again as he looks down at her. She's still sleeping, her arm around his waist. He gently strokes her hair, placing a kiss to her forehead. She doesn't stir. _God, she's amazing_.

~~LoVe~~

When Veronica wakes up, she stays still for a few moments longer. _Maybe if I don't open my eyes I'll fall asleep again._ She feels so warm and comfortable, she doesn't want to move. _Wait a minute… Since when have I ever been_ ** _this_** _comfortable in_ ** _my_** _bed?_ Slowly, she opens her eyes. Instead of seeing her bedspread like she usually would, she sees a white t-shirt clad chest and an arm, and she's holding his hand. For a split second, she's confused. But then… _Oh, right._ She grins a little and moves her head to look up at Logan. When she does, he's looking up at the ceiling, eyebrows furrowed. He doesn't notice her movements.

"You just might hurt yourself thinking that hard," Veronica says, moving up a little more, leaning on one elbow.

Logan startles slightly. _When did she wake up?_ He grins down at her. "Oh, is that so?" he asks, voice hoarse from sleep.

Veronica smirks. "Yes. It is so," she says, patting him on the arm.

Logan laughs lightly, moving his hand across his face. "Good morning," he says, softly.

Grinning, Veronica says, "Good morning." Logan begins to lean down for a kiss, but Veronica moves away slightly, shaking her head at him. "Uh uh. I'm not kissing you with morning breath," she says, moving out of bed and heading for the bathroom.

Logan gets up to stop her, pulling her back gently. "Yeah, but see, I don't care," he says, moving to try to kiss her again. Veronica tries to get away again, but Logan holds on tighter, keeping her in his arms.

"Yes, but see, I do care," Veronica replies, giggling a little. Every time Logan moves in to give her a kiss, Veronica moves her face away from his, eliciting rounds of laughter from the both of them. _Well, someone is adamant. She just won't stay still_. Logan sighs, and gives in, though placing a kiss on her cheek.

Veronica giggles. _I'm actually giggling. It's been quite a while since I've been so giggly_. She gently moves a little bit away from Logan, decides to give in a little too and kisses his cheek. She gives him a smile and moves out of his embrace, making her way to the bathroom. Logan smiles and watches her go. She's still smiling as she closes the door. Logan stands there in his spot for a second, before heading to use the other bathroom.

Less than ten minutes later, the two of them are in the kitchen, teeth brushed and freshened up. "Okay," Veronica begins, moving into Logan's personal space. "No more morning breath. I can kiss you properly now," she says, moving her hands up his chest, resting them on his shoulders.

Logan smiles, wrapping his arms around her waist as he leans into her. "Finally," he whispers, before their lips meet. They both giggle a little at his response, but soon get very into the kiss. It's not as hot and heavy as their kisses were last night. This kiss is slow, soft, and sweet. Neither are in a hurry to stop, taking their time to enjoy it.

They pull apart a few minutes later. Logan kisses Veronica's cheek and then forehead before moving away slightly to see her better. He's looking at her when all of a sudden he just gets serious and quiet. "What?" Veronica asks, tilting her head.

Logan takes in a deep breath that he lets out slowly. _What if she doesn't want to talk about it? I mean, we talked a little bit about it already, and that had been pretty intense… But then again, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be… But still, she might get upset and I hate when that happens._ Logan couldn't seem to make up his mind. He didn't know whether or not to ask her. In the end, though, _why not, it's now or never, as they say_.

Logan looks down for a moment, collecting his thoughts, before turning back to Veronica. _What is up with him? He was all smiles and laughter not a minute ago, and now he's so serious and quiet..._ Veronica moves slightly closer to Logan, trying to read his facial expressions better.

"I wanna ask you something, but..." he shakes his head lightly, glancing away. "I-I'm not sure how you'll feel about it," he says, looking into Veronica's eyes.

Eyebrows furrowing, Veronica bites her lip. She's not too sure about what he might be talking about. Of course, with what's happened recently, she has a few ideas. _So what's it gonna be, Mars? Are you gonna open up? Are you gonna let Logan ask you whatever he wants to ask and answer it wholeheartedly? Or will you just deflect?_ Veronica sighed. _Damn that voice in her head._ "What is it?"

"Look, if you don't want to talk about it then that's fine. I don't want to push and force you to. I just... It's something that I'm wondering about," Logan rambled.

 _Logan rambling? Logan hardly ever rambles..._ "Just spit it out, Logan."

Logan nods. "Okay. Uhm, so after Shelley's party," he clears his throat. "Did you- Did you, you know, tell anyone what happened?" he asks her cautiously, quietly, not exactly looking at her, glancing from her face to her shoulder and back, trying not to make any eye contact. Veronica looks down at his chest, where her hands now are. "Did you report it?" Logan can't get a clear view of her face, but he doesn't move. He doesn't want to do anything that could potentially push her. He just moves his hands lightly over her lower back, trying to let her know through the movements that he's here and he'll comfort her should she need it.

Veronica bites her lip and doesn't say anything right away. _Oh, so that's what he wants to talk about._ She sighs and slightly tilts her head. It's not that it's hard for her to talk about, but just that she'd rather forget about it. She takes a breath in and lets it out before looking back up at Logan. When she does, she can see the emotion in his eyes. She tries to give him a small, reassuring smile, but his facial expression doesn't change so she's not so sure it came out the way she intented. She gives one small nod. "Afterwards, I, uhm, I did report it, but..." she trails off, shaking her head.

"But?" Logan asks softly, moving a hand up and down her arm, finally ending to take her hand in his.

"But... When I reported it to Lamb, he basically laughed in my face, telling me to see the fucking wizard and ask for a little backbone," she says, giving a short, pained, unamused laugh.

Logan had gone still with anger. He couldn't believe it. _Lamb's an asshat. We all know that. But this!? Laughing at a girl who'd been raped! That douchebag's gonna get what's coming to him. I'll make sure of it_. He makes to move, to leave to do... _anything, something_ , to Lamb for what he did.

"Logan, where are you going?" Veronica asks him, moving alongside him.

"I don't know, Veronica!" He turns to look at her, eyes pained. "I can't just stand here and do nothing after what you told me! Okay? Lamb has to pay." He tries to walk to the door, but Veronica is quick to stop him.

"Logan stop!" She moves in front of him, grabbing his arms to stop him from leaving. "What do you think you're gonna do, huh?" Logan looks like he's about to respond, but Veronica covers his mouth with her hand. "Look... I appreciate this. I do. But it's not going to help. You know if you go in there and do God-knows-what, they'll lock you up for as long as they can and then what?" She moves her hand from his mouth. Moving closer, she puts her hands on his shoulders. "How do you expect to help me if they have you in there?" she asks him, pleading with her eyes for him to listen to her and not do anything.

 _No way will I just stand by and do nothing! I have to do something!_ Logan looks torn. _Helpless_. Looking into Veronica's eyes though, he realizes this is a losing battle. He lets out a heavy sigh. _Fine. I won't do anything... for now, but I will eventually. With some time and a little help, I'll figure out a way to do some real damage without having anyone suspect me_. He gives a small nod before relaxing his posture. Reaching up, he caresses Veronica's cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Fine," he whispers. Leaning in, he gently kisses her forehead. He rests their foreheads together. "I won't do anything to him." Veronica smiles and he can't resist matching it. "Yet." Veronica narrows her eyes, the smile dropping slightly. Logan just keeps smiling, though, and she eventually just rolls her eyes and shakes her head at him.

"Promise?" she asks, serious now.

Logan nods. "I promise."

Veronica looks into his eyes for a while, checking to see if he's telling the truth, before responding. "Thank you," she whispers, giving him a soft kiss.

~~LoVe~~

An hour later, it's almost 10 AM, and the two of them sit cuddling on the couch watching tv. After their conversation earlier, they'd eaten breakfast and then gone to the bathrooms to take showers to get ready for the day. They were watching _Friends_ , and it's during one of Chandler's jokes that Veronica's cell phone rings. After she picks it up from the coffee table, she checks the caller ID before answering. _Wallace_.

"Hey, Wallace," she greets, leaning back against the couch, looking at the television screen but not really paying attention to the show. Logan idly plays with her hair, watching the show, but also paying some attention to Veronica's side of the conversation.

"What's up supafly? What time should I head over?" he asks.

"Hmmm. How about one?"

"Awesome. I'll be there. Better have the pizza get there before I do, cuz you know Imma be heading over with an empty stomach!" he laughs.

Veronica rolls her eyes and chuckles. "Yeah, okay Wallace. Whatever you say."

"Alright girl. See ya later."

"Bye," Veronica says, ending the call. She drops her phone onto the couch next to her and turns her attention back to the show. _Something about Joey's butt?_

Logan glances at her. "That Wallace?" he asks, still playing with her hair, moving his fingers through the soft strands, every once in a while gently twirling it around his finger, then letting it fall away.

"Yeah," Veronica said, not taking her eyes from the tv screen. "He's coming over later for a movie marathon," she says, turning to look at him now.

Logan nods. _I probably should go and check on the house and all that._ "You haven't hung out with him much lately, huh?" he asks, starting to fell a little guilty. _It's all my fault. She spends so much of her time with me instead of with her best friend. What kind of boyfriend does that?_

Veronica gives him a small smile and shrugs her shoulders. "Not really, no. It seems like a certain someone has been demanding a lot of my time these days," she says in a playful tone, nudging him gently in the side with her elbow.

Logan grins and looks down at his lap. "I'm sorry," he tells her when he looks up. She's still smiling, though, so he doesn't feel like this'll be a bad situation. _She doesn't look mad or anything. That should be a good sign_. "I didn't mean to take up so much of your time," he says, serious.

Veronica scoots a little closer. "Hey, it's okay," she says, shaking her head slightly. She pats his thigh. "Don't worry about it." She pauses for a moment, turning to face him better. "You gonna check in with your dad about what happened yesterday?"

Nodding Logan, pats her hand before linking their fingers together. "Yeah." Shrugging, he adds, "We'll probably be able to go back into the house. Knowing Dad, he probably already had people go in to fix everything up after the fire department was done."

"Okay," Veronica says, giving Logan a small smile and nod before turning back to watch _Friends_.

~~LoVe~~

Logan leaves the Mars apartment a half an hour later, telling Veronica that he's going to check with his dad about the fire yesterday. _Yeah, right. I'll stop by the house first. Hopefully things are already fixed and I can avoid him_. Veronica reminds him not to try anything with Lamb, to which he reluctantly agrees. She knows he wants to do something and probably eventually will. She just doesn't want him doing anything too stupid without really thinking about it. _Like that ever really happens in Neptune_.

After Logan leaves, Veronica takes Backup out for a walk. While she's out, her dad calls to see how she's doing.

"Everything's fine dad," she tells him.

"Good. Good. Got plans for today?" he asks.

"Yeah. Wallace is coming over later for a movie marathon."

"Oh, well that's good. Listen honey, I hate to cut this call short, but I've got to head out. I just wanted to check in with you."

"It's fine, dad. Don't worry so much. I'm fine. Backup's fine. Just go out and do what you do best."

Keith sighs. "I'll see you when I get back Tuesday, alright? I won't be able to call again until tomorrow, so be good Veronica."

"You betcha."

When she gets back to the apartment, Backup heads straight for his water bowl and Veronica to the fridge for some water herself. _You know, since Logan and I started dating, I haven't hung out with Wallace as much as I used to. Today will be good._ Veronica stares out into the kitchen area. _Plus, I can make him some snickerdoodles as an apology._ Veronica smiles, gathering everything she needs to make the cookies. _Wallace is always happy after having snickerdoodles_.

It's 12:37 and Veronica has just finished baking the snickerdoodles. She made enough for her to give some to Wallace and save some to keep for herself. Pulling out her phone, she calls Cho's Pizza to order her and Wallace's pizzas. _Gotta order more than just one pie when it comes to the two of us_. By the time she's done cleaning up the mess and putting everything away, it's 12:53. _Wallace will be here soon_. She brings out a couple of DVDs and leaves them in a pile on the coffee table for her and Wallace to choose from later. _Harry Potter. Zoolander. Coneheads_ … She is just about to sit down on the couch to wait for Wallace to arrive when there's a knock on the door.

"Hey, Wallace!" she greets after opening the door to a smiling Wallace.

"Hey, V," he says, walking inside. The two of them head for the couch, plopping down. Quickly looking around, Wallace teases, "Hey. I thought I said to make sure to have the pizza here by the time I got here."

Veronica rolls her eyes. "Har Har Wallace. You're so very funny!" she says, jokingly punching him lightly on the arm. She leans back against the couch. "The pizza will be here soon." She turns to look at him. "Okay!?"

Smiling, Wallace puts his hands up in a placating gesture. "Jeez, calm down V!" He laughs.

Veronica narrows her eyes at him and shakes her head. When she opens her mouth to say something, there's a knock on the door. _Finally, the pizza's here!_ She grins at Wallace and gets up to open the door, and sure enough, there's the delivery boy with their pizzas.

She pays for the pizzas and walks back towards the living room. She moves the pile of DVDs aside and sets the boxes down on the coffee table. "Yes! Finally some grub!" Wallace declares dramatically. "Good thing you ordered more than one pie, V. I came hungry and ready to _chow_ _down_!"

Veronica laughs and shakes her head at his antics as she brings them each a soda from the fridge. They each grab their slices and take a seat on the couch. "So, these are the movies you got?" Wallace asks around a bite of meat lovers' pizza, pointing to the pile of DVDs.

"Yup," Veronica nods. "Which one you wanna watch first?" she asks, grabbing the DVDs and setting them in the space on the couch between them.

Wallace sets down his plate on the coffee table, wipes his hands with a napkin and looks through the DVDs, mulling them over. _Hmmm. Which should we watch first indeed?_

The end up deciding to watch the Harry Potter movies Veronica has. _Wallace hasn't seen them! Where has he been!? Living under a rock?_

About fifteen minutes into the movie, they've finished eating all of the pizza. Full and satisfied, they lean back against the couch as they watch the movie.

"Well, that's just mean!" Wallace had said, after the scene where Dudley pushes Harry back into his 'bedroom' and then kicks the door shut. Veronica glances over at him and just smiles. _Oh, my dear Wallace_. "Damn, they really don't like Harry, huh?" he comments, eyes not leaving the tv screen.

For the next six hours, Veronica and Wallace watch the first three Harry Potter movies and eat ice cream. It was almost 7:30 now and they were taking a small break before popping in the next DVD. While Wallace quickly went to the bathroom, Veronica walked into the kitchen and grabbed the box of snickerdoodles she'd set aside for Wallace. _This should definitely get his spirits back up. Poor Wallace. He really got into the movies, he got a little down when I told him that was all there was. Even after I said they're making more movies, he still had that sad puppy dog face. Snickerdoodles are sure to cheer him up. Even if it's for a little while_.

Veronica was sitting back on the couch and trying to decide between _Zoolander_ and _Coneheads_ when Wallace came out of the bathroom. She'd set the box of cookies on the coffee table in front of where he'd been sitting. When he sat down he didn't even notice they were there. "Which movies are left?" he asked, looking down at the two DVDs Veronica held in her hands. She handed them to Wallace in such a way that the box of cookies would be in his peripheral vision while he looked between the DVDs. And sure enough he eventually looked up, smile beginning to form on his face. "Is that…?" he asks, looking at her and pointing to the box.

Veronica grins and nods. _Finally! I thought he'd never notice!_ Wallace grabs the box and opens it so fast Veronica almost got whiplash. She laughs as Wallace gobbles up about five cookies. "Hey hey hey! Don't eat them all now! Save some for later! Jeez!" she exclaims, laughing some more when Wallace shot her an incredulous look. _As if saving them for later instead of eating them right now was better._ But then he looked into his box and thought for a moment. _Shit. Maybe I_ ** _should_** _save these. I can have them for lunch tomorrow_. He nods, moving to close the box and set it aside, but then takes out a few cookies at the last minute.

"Hey! I've gotta have something to snack on while we watch this next movie, okay!" he says, defensively, when Veronica shoots him an amused-yet-incredulous look. She then just laughs and shakes her head.

"Hurry up and pick a movie," she says, pushing the DVDs closer to him.

"Alright then," Wallace says. He can't make up his mind, so he closes his eyes and scrambles the DVDs around for a few seconds, before picking one up. When he opens his eyes, he sees that he picked _Coneheads_. He nods once and hands the movie over to Veronica, who has an amused expression on her face from watching his way of picking a movie.

~~LoVe~~

Wallace has to leave after they finish watching _Coneheads_ , so he tells Veronica that he'll see her the next morning and Veronica lets him know that she'll pick him up for school. She shoots a quick text to Logan, letting him know he won't have to pick her up in the morning.

Once Veronica is alone again, she cleans up the living room and kitchen. Wallace took out the pizza boxes to throw away for her, so she just throws the rest of the garbage into the trash can.

It's 10:25 when Veronica's done, so she goes to her room to change into some comfortable pajamas. She goes back out to the living room to check on Backup. She finds him fast asleep in his dog bed and smiles at the sight. She goes to the kitchen and grabs a glass of water before heading to her room. Setting the glass of water on the table by her bed, she grabs her cell phone to check for messages before she goes to sleep.

10:17 To Veronica From Logan:

 _Goodnight V. C u 2moro_

10:32 To Logan From Veronica:

 _Goodnight Lo. XOXO_

Veronica sets her phone down on the table and lays down in her bed. As she looks up at the ceiling of her bedroom, she can't help but think about all that's happened. _I'm so fucking glad my dad_ ** _is_** _my dad_. She turns onto her side, her back to the wall. _Despite all the shitty crap that's happened these past few days, this weekend has actually been pretty nice_. Closing her eyes, she pulls the blankets around herself tighter and begins to drift to sleep.

* * *

So, what did you think? Please leave a review!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,696

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : _Is it too late now to say sorry?_ ._. Yeah, I know. It's been, like, FOREVER since I last posted. So now you all know how _horrible_ I am at managing my time. But, well I've written some and here it is.

Enjoy.

* * *

When Veronica woke up the next morning, it was still pretty early. _Wow. It's only 6:17? I don't even feel tired right now._ So, instead of burying herself back into the covers like she usually would, she got out of bed and walked to her closet. Within minutes she had her outfit picked out. _Comfortable jeans, t-shirt, sweater, and boots._ She made her bed before setting her clothes down on top. Backup had come into her room halfway through this, woken up from the sounds of Veronica's movements. Now, he was sitting on the floor by her bed, watching her as she got things ready.

"Are you hungry, boy?" she asked Backup. At the sound of ' _hungry_ ' Backup's ears perked up. He sat up a little straighter and began wagging his tail. Veronica chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes." She walked out to the kitchen, checking his water and food bowls. _Yup. Empty_. She refilled his bowls for him, and Backup quickly began to eat his breakfast. "Good boy," Veronica said, giving Backup a little pat on the head, before walking back to her room.

She walked over to her desk to check her cell phone for any missed calls or texts. _Nothing_. She set it to the highest volume in case someone called or sent her a text message while she was in the shower. She set it back down on her desk and made her way to her bathroom.

She took her time getting ready, since she'd gotten up so early today. When she was finished with showering, she walked into her bedroom to change. It was 6:48 when she was done, and ten minutes later, she had finished doing her hair and makeup for the day. She grabbed her school bag, her cell phone, and made her way to the living room. When she got there, Backup was sitting by the door, wagging his tail, watching Veronica walk through the kitchen.

Veronica made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast. She was just about to pour herself a glass of milk, when Backup walked over and nudged her leg with his nose. He had his leash in his mouth and dropped it at her feet when she turned to look at him. "You want to go out for a walk?" Veronica asked. In response, Backup barked and wagged his tail some more. "Alright, boy. We'll go out in a minute." Veronica ate her sandwich as she grabbed any last things she might need for her day. Breakfast finished, Veronica made her way out the front door with Backup on her heals.

~~LoVe~~

It was 7:18 when Veronica and Backup got to the beach. It was fairly empty. There were a few surfers in the water, and for a brief moment Veronica wondered if Logan was out there today. _I didn't see his or any of the other guys' cars in the parking lot._ As she and Backup walked further down the beach, she began to feel odd, like as if someone was watching her. She threw a ball for Backup to fetch, and as he did so, she inconspicuously looked around to determine if it was just a feeling, or if someone was actually watching her. Backup came back with the ball, so she threw it again for him. Veronica sighed. _That's weird. I don't see anyone._ Backup came back with the ball and Veronica sighed again, throwing the ball once more. _But that doesn't mean they don't see me_.

Ten minutes passed and Veronica still had that weird feeling. She kept subtly looking around, making sure to get a good look at all the people at the beach. If Backup hadn't walked up to her with the ball and tiredly dropped it and himself to the sand, Veronica might have jumped when her phone began to ring loudly. _Shit! I forgot I set that thing to the highest volume this morning._ Veronica huffed as she fished through her bag for her phone. The call was about to go to voicemail when she finally answered.

"Hello," Veronica said, leading Backup back to her car.

"Good morning, honey," Keith replied.

Veronica blew out a breath, moving hair out from in front of her eyes. "Morning, dad. How's the case coming along?"

"It's going great, honey. Everything is going to plan. I'll be home tomorrow, just in time for dinner," Keith said, sounding pretty exciting.

Veronica smiled. "That's great, dad. I'll cook us up something real nice." Her dad had only been away for a few days, more than he normally would, and Veronica was missing him. Sure, she had her friends and Logan to keep her company, but it wasn't the same.

"Oh don't worry about that, honey. Why don't we go out for dinner instead? All of us."

"All of us?" Veronica asks, confused.

"Yes, all of us. You, me, Alicia, Wallace, Darrel," Keith pauses for a moment before adding, "Logan too, if you want." Veronica is silent for a minute, taking in what her dad just said. _Will this be like some sort of 'family dinner'?_ "I've got a good feeling about this case. We'll be able to go out someplace really nice if all goes well today."

"Yeah. That's sounds really great, dad." Veronica smiled. _It actually does sound pretty nice_.

"Indeed it does, oh sweet child of mine. I've got- oh, right," Keith's side of the conversation was shifted. Veronica heard some muffled voices on the other side of the line. "Sorry, honey. I've gotta go. I have a meeting in ten, but they showed up early. I'll call later okay?" Keith said.

Veronica had just gotten to where she'd parked the Le Baron. "Yeah, no that's fine, dad." She disconnected the call and leaned against the passenger side door, staring out at the ocean for a moment. Backup sat at her feet. After a minute or two, Veronica took in a deep breath and sighed, before she opened the door to get Backup inside. She walked around the car to the driver's side.

"Hello, Veronica," a voice said from behind her.

Veronica jumped a little and turned around quickly. _Oh, shit_. "Duncan," she said, letting out a long breath when she realized who it was. She had just been about to open the car door to get inside when he spoke. She'd felt like someone had been watching her. Now she knew it hadn't _just_ been a feeling. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Duncan glanced around for a second. "Oh, you know. Just surfing," he said, giving a small shrug.

Veronica took note of him. His hair was completely dry, made up perfectly, and he wasn't wearing a wetsuit. Nor was he carrying a surfboard or any other surfing equipment. Veronica narrowed her eyes at him. _Surfing, my ass_. "Really?" Slowly, she moved her hand into her bag, careful not to draw Duncan's attention. When she found her taser, she gripped it tight, ready to use if needed. He didn't notice.

Duncan nodded and grinned. "Yes, of course. The waves were great today." He took a step toward her. "So, what brings you to the beach this fine morning?" he asks, hands in his pockets.

Veronica mentally rolls her eyes. _Seriously? Is Backup in the back seat, literally looking out the window not that obvious?_ She sighs heavily. "I came to walk Backup," Veronica says, waving her hand in front of the window Backup was currently looking at them through.

Duncan looks over at the dog in surprise, as if he'd just barely noticed he was there. "Oh, right. Of course."

Veronica nods once, moving her hand behind her to open the car door without putting her back to Duncan. "Well, as nice as this little chat was, I really need to be heading out."

Duncan looks like he's about to say something, when he turns his head slightly, gaze moving towards something passed Veronica's shoulder, and hesitates. Veronica doesn't turn around to see what or who it is. _Even if I kind of want to_. Duncan shakes his head slightly and takes a step back. "Right, whatever. I'll see you around I guess," he somewhat mumbles, before walking away.

Veronica sighs, watching as Duncan leaves. She makes sure she sees him get into his car before she turns around to get inside her car. _He keeps acting weirder and weirder_. Veronica got into her car and put her bag on the passenger seat. As she was pulling out of the beach parking lot, her phone began to ring again. She managed to answer her phone at a red light just before it went to voicemail.

"Hello," she answered.

"Morning V."

"Good morning Wallace. Uhm-" Veronica glanced quickly at the time on the dash. _7:57_ "I was at the beach taking Backup out for a walk. I'm just about to drop him off back home, so I'll be over in like ten minutes."

"Okay, cool. I'm all ready. Moms was just asking me if I want a breakfast sandwich for the road when I told her I was gonna call you, so she wants to know if you want one too."

Veronica chuckled as she pulled into the apartment complex parking lot. "Now, Wallace. Have I _ever_ turned down an offer of having your mom's food?"

She heard Wallace laugh on the other end of the call. She smiled. "No, I guess not. Well, then I guess I'll see you in ten."

"Alright, Wallace. Bye," Veronica ended the call. She got out of the car, leaving her bag inside. She lead Backup back to the apartment and made sure he had enough food and water in his bowls before heading back out.

~~LoVe~~

"Mmmm. Wallace, your mother is a godsend!" Veronica said, around a mouthful of sandwich.

Wallace laughed at her from the passenger seat. "I'll make sure to let her know."

"Hey, so I talked to my dad earlier today. He said he's planning on inviting you guys to go out with us for dinner when he gets back tomorrow," Veronica said, stopping at a red light three blocks away from school.

"Really?" Wallace asks, turning to look at Veronica, eyes widening slightly. Veronica smirks and nods her head. "Well, alright. Sounds cool. I'll make sure to act all surprised when my mom tells me about it later then," he says, nodding as he looks out the windshield.

Veronica chuckles. _Oh, Wallace_. Five minutes later, Veronica pulls into the Neptune High parking lot. She parks her car and notices that Weevil is leaning against his bike, alone, clearly waiting for someone. He was looking right in her direction.

Veronica and Wallace get out of the Le Baron. As they walk towards the school's entrance, Weevil stands up straighter. He's ready to intercept, and surely enough, when Wallace and Veronica are a couple of feet away, he steps into their path.

"V," Weevil says, looking at Veronica. "Wallace," he says, giving Wallace a nod.

"Weevil," Veronica replied. Wallace just nodded back at him, standing next to Veronica. "What are you doing here so early?" Veronica asked.

Weevil smirked. "Early? C'mon girl, the bell rang already." And just at that moment, the school bell rang, and the students who were hanging out with friends outside went inside at a leisurely pace.

Wallace looked from Veronica to Weevil and back. They were still just standing there. He shrugged. _Business most likely_. "I'll see you later, V," he said, nudging Veronica's arm gently with his elbow.

Veronica nodded at him. "See you later, Wallace. I'm just gonna see what Weevil here wants to discuss. That clearly can't seem to wait for later," Veronica sighed, giving Weevil a glare, before giving Wallace a small smile. Wallace nodded at both of them before heading inside the school.

Veronica and Weevil were the only ones still outside, save for those students arriving late. Veronica glanced at Weevil before beginning to walk inside. Weevil fell into step with her.

"So, where's white boy at?" Weevil asked, looking around casually. "He treating you right?"

Veronica shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Oh, c'mon Weevil, we both know that's not what you really want to talk about. I mean, why else would you be waiting outside for me, sans gang?" Veronica said, stopping at her locker. _If I'm going to be late to class, I'm at least going to get there prepared_.

Weevil gave a little laugh. "Alright. Word on the street is you were working a case for Carmen Ruiz…" he trailed off.

When Veronica had finished grabbing the books she needed, she closed her locker and faced Weevil. _Why would Weevil want to know about Carmen's case?_ Leaning against her locker, Veronica crossed her arms. "Maybe," she said, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Look, V. I'm not tryi-"

"Ms. Mars. Mr. Navarro. What on God's green earth are you two doing conversing in the hallway and not in study hall?" Mr. Clemmons asked them, walking down the hallway to where the two were still standing at Veronica's locker.

Veronica quickly turned around. "Oh, Mr. C, I was just telling Eli we needed to get to class as quickly as possible. It's just," Veronica lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Someone," Veronica continues, gesturing to Weevil with a tilt of her head. "was having some trouble and a little case of the nerves about something for a class, and I was just being a good person and trying to boost his confidence," Veronica finished, shrugging and smiling innocently. Weevil looked at her, a look of confusion on his face.

Mr. Clemmons looked from Veronica to Weevil. He sighed and mentally rolled his eyes. "Get to class you two," he said, walking away from them, down the hallway towards his office.

"What just happened?" Weevil asked.

Veronica turned around, smiling, and shrugged. "Oh, nothing, Weevil, just the Mars charm," she said, before turning back around to walk to class.

Weevil followed after her. "Look, V. I gotta know. Did that asshat do something to Carmen?"

That slowed Veronica down a little. She looked over at Weevil, eyebrows furrowed. "What do you know, Weevil?"

"Nothing more than the fact that the guy's a complete douchebag."

Smirking, Veronica replied, "Well, you got that right."

Weevil continued to stare at her, clearly wanting more information. Veronica shook her head slightly before adding, "If you really must know, Carmen dumped his ass." Weevil nodded. "And he completely deserved that and so much more." Veronica stopped just outside her class.

"What are you planning, V?" Weevil asked, in a tone that conveyed to Veronica that he'd want in on anything she was planning to do to Tad.

"Nothing right now, Weevil. At least, not without Carmen's say-so."

Weevil nodded, before turning away and walking to hist class. Finally, fifteen minutes late, Veronica entered study hall.

~~LoVe~~

9:07 a.m. To Logan From Veronica:

 _Did u come 2 school 2day? Didn't c ur car in the lot_

"Ms. Mars," the study hall teacher began. "Now I know that you know the rules against texting in class."

Veronica sighed, nodded, and made a show of putting her cell phone back inside her bag.

~~LoVe~~

Classes went by as usual. Boring lectures, droning teachers, and annoyingly talkative classmates. It was finally lunchtime, but Veronica still hadn't seen or heard from Logan. He hasn't texted her back yet. Veronica began to get worried. _But really Veronica. What could he have possibly gotten himself into, though? He probably just decided not to show up for school today and is instead sitting at home playing video games._ Veronica sighed. _But he probably would have still told me about it_. She was at her locker, switching out her books. She closed her locker and started walking down the hall, cell phone in hand, when she saw Carmen walking towards her.

"Good morning," Veronica greets, smiling.

"It is good, isn't it," Carmen says, falling in step with Veronica. The two of them make their way outside and take a seat at Veronica's usual table. She glances over at Logan's usual table and doesn't see him. _Where is that boy?_

"So, Carmen, how are you liking the single life?" Veronica asks, subtly checking her cell phone again. _Still nothing_.

"Oh, it's great!" Carmen smiles, looking up to the sky, before looking back over at Veronica. "Really, Veronica. Thank you, for everything," Carmen says, more serious. "I'm so glad I dumped that idiot loser… crapface," Carmen and Veronica laugh. "It's over now. No more dating a guy like Tad thinking he can push me around."

"Well I'm glad I could help. Guys like Tad annoy the shit out of me. It was my pleasure," Veronica says, smirk in place, patting Carmen's arm.

"Veronica Mars!"

Both Carmen and Veronica turned around. Tad came out of the school building and stocked over towards them. Out of the corner of her eye, Veronica could see Carmen tense up. Veronica had placed her messenger bag onto the table in front of her, it's zipped opening facing her. She placed her arms on the table between her and her bag, ready to reach for her taser if necessary. _And when dealing with an asshole like Tad… Well, an appearance from Mr. Sparky is highly likely_.

Everybody in the quad was watching as Tad got closer. "What the fuck did you do, Veronica Mars!?" he yelled.

Veronica narrowed her eyes. _What did I do? Oh, Tad you haven't even seen what I can do_.

When Tad finally got to the table, he took out his laptop and slammed it down on the table. Carmen flinched, but Veronica didn't. She briefly glanced at the laptop before looking back up, picture of cool, calm, and collected.

Tad was fuming. He'd gotten to school late and hadn't been able to go to his locker. This whole past weekend he'd spent so much time searching his house for his laptop, though he'd gotten a clue of who had taken it. He had, after all, noticed the absence of his special DVDs.

When he'd finally gotten around to checking his locker, the first thing he saw was his laptop. He pulled it out and turned it on, frantically searching all of his files. He'd found what looked like his video of Carmen, but one click and his laptop crashed. He couldn't get it to work again.

"What the hell did you do, bitch!?" Tad said through clenched teeth. Carmen flinched again. She'd seen him get angry before, but it was never at her. Even now, while Tad's anger wasn't aimed directly at her — _not yet, anyway, for all I know_ — she couldn't help but feel bad for getting Veronica into this. Although Carmen was sure Tad probably wouldn't really do anything right now in front of everyone at school, that didn't mean he wouldn't do anything later. And she's seen the damage he could do.

Veronica smirked. "I don't know what you're talking about. But what I do know is, you've got some nerve coming over here after what you almost did to Carmen," Veronica said, inconspicuously moving her hand into her bag. She found her taser and held on tight. Tad didn't notice her movements. _He's such a dumbass_. One mention of Carmen and he'd softened, just a teeny bit, and looked over at Carmen. He opened his mouth to say something, closed it, then opened it again. This continued for a couple of seconds. Veronica rolled her eyes. _He looks like a fish_.

Carmen looked from Veronica to Tad. _I don't know how Veronica does it. She doesn't look at all intimidated or nervous about what could happen right now_. Carmen turned to look at her ex. _He looks like he might be sorry. But I've seen that look before, and he never learns. Every. Single. Time. He'd tell me he's sorry, but then two days later do the exact same thing. "I'm sorry, Carmen. I wasn't thinking. I promise you, I'll never do it again."_ Carmen's face hardened. She glared at the guy she had once loved. _You're not sorry about what you've done. You're just sorry you got caught. Asshole_.

"I think it's best if you leave, Tad," Carmen said, surprising herself with how even and calm her voice sounded. She sat up a little straighter. "And don't even think about coming anywhere near me ever again."

"But Carmen, I-"

"The lady said to leave, _Wilson_ ," Weevil said from behind Tad.

In an instant, Tad went from looking morose and heartbroken to angry again. He slowly turned around, looking ready to throw a punch. But once he did, he stumbled back a step, looking much less confident in taking Weevil in a fight. Of course, that was probably due to the fact that Weevil wasn't alone. Next to him were Felix and Hector.

"Why don't we have a little chat, huh?" Weevil said, smirk in place. He gestured to Felix and Hector to grab Tad. The two of them roughly yanked Tad away, ending up in a fight. Or at least, what Tad could do when up against two PCHers.

"Hey!"

"Break it up!"

Three teachers came jogging out of the school building, yelling for the boys to stop fighting. Felix and Hector let go of Tad, holding up their hands as if to silently say "I didn't do anything". Tad walked away, wiping at his bloody face. He glanced once more at Carmen and glared at Veronica, before going back inside the school, leaving his ruined laptop behind. A teacher followed him inside, while the other two stayed outside to get Felix and Hector.

Before the boys went inside, Weevil gave them a look. _Probably thanking them in that silent way Weevil does_.

"Sup, V," Weevil said. "Carmen," he said, voice a little softer.

Carmen looked a little surprised, but not at all uncomfortable. Veronica smiled. "Uh, I'll just leave you too to talk," she said, getting up from the table. She walked towards the school entrance, looking back before going inside. Weevil and Carmen were talking, both smiling.

* * *

I know. No Logan :(

He'll show up next chapter, don't worry.

So... Thoughts?


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

 **Chapter Word Count** : 4,964

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hey guys! New chapter! This one has both Veronica and Logan POV. :)

**Warning: There is a section that depicts abuse and injury. If you are uncomfortable with reading about it, I have it marked (with **) so you can just skip over it if you want.**

* * *

Veronica walks into the school building, down the hallway, and notices a girl putting up posters. As she gets closer, she sees they're lost dog posters. Someone stuck one onto the girl's back and students standing by her are quietly laughing and mocking her.

Veronica rolls her eyes at them. She walks over and pulls the poster off. The girl turns around. "Sorry," Veronica says. "This was on your…" she trails off, looking down at the poster in her hand, where she reads that the girl's name is Mandy.

"Oh. Thanks," Mandy says, taking the poster, looking down at it. Veronica nods and begins to walk away, but Mandy says, "You're Veronica Mars, right?"

Veronica sighs but turns back around. "Sometimes."

"Do you think I could, like, hire you, or something? To help me find my dog?"

Veronica smirks a little. "That depends. Was he cheating on you?" At the look of confusion on Mandy's face, Veronica adds, "Lost dogs aren't really my speciality."

Mandy looks away, hopeless expression on her face. "Oh, okay. Well, thanks anyways."

Veronica watches as Mandy turns to walk away, head down, and begins to feel bad. _If Backup went missing, I'd look as miserable as she does right now_. She sighs and steps towards her. "You know, maybe I could make a couple phone calls. Maybe help with signage," Veronica tells her.

Mandy looks back at Veronica and smiles brightly. "Oh, thank you Veronica."

Veronica smiles, nods and turns to walk away just as the bell rang. She was just down the hall from her next class. She checked her phone again. _Still nothing from Logan… Should I be feeling this worried?_ Veronica sighed. She couldn't shake this feeling she had. _Why do I feel like something bad happened?_

She'd been standing by the corner of the hallway, lost in thought. Someone passing by bumped her shoulder, causing her to come out of her thoughts. She looked down the hall where her calculus class would begin in a few minutes. _To go or not to go, that is the question_.

"Hey, V. Why are you just standing there? Class is over there remember?" Wallace said, appearing next to her. He gestured down the hall to their class.

"Oh, hey Wallace. Sorry, I kinda spaced for a minute," Veronica said, turning to face him.

Wallace nudged her shoulder with his playfully, and the two of them began to walk down the hallway. "So, I heard about what happened at lunch," he said, turning to glance at her. Veronica mentally rolled her eyes. _Why does everyone have to find out so quickly?! I mean, seriously folks, it only happened, like, less than five minutes ago…_ "I remember you saying Tad's an asshole, but _damn_ , he's an asshole!" Wallace and Veronica both snickered.

"Ain't that the truth," Veronica replied.

"So," Wallace began. "Where's your boyfriend?" he said, in a lightly teasing tone.

Veronica shrugged. "I don't know. Haven't seen him all day. He hasn't answered my texts either."

The two of them entered the classroom and sat down towards the back of the class. They were going to continue their conversation after all, and they didn't want the teacher to catch them. "So, what? You think something's wrong?" Wallace asked in a lowered voice, even though class hadn't started yet.

Veronica shrugged as she took out her notebook. "I don't know. It's not like Logan hasn't ditched school before. Of course he has. But it's weird that he hasn't texted me back or anything, you know," Veronica said, matching his lowered voice.

"Hmm. Well, no, actually. I don't know. But, hey maybe there's a perfectly logical explanation?" Wallace said, giving Veronica a not-so-convincing grin.

Veronica tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed. She was amused at Wallace's response. "Since when are you so much on Logan's side?" Veronica asked, one side of her lip quirking up. "Up until now, all it's been is how terrible of a person he is."

Wallace shrugged. "Well, V. It's just that… you looking kinda tense and stuff. I don't know. I thought saying something that might not make you worry more would be the best friend thing to do. You shouldn't stress out too much, you know. Besides, only one more class and you can go investigate to your heart's content," Wallace said, smiling.

Veronica shook her head a little, smiling back at him. _I almost forgot what it was like to have nice, great friends until Wallace showed up_. She wasn't able to respond back to him like she was going to, though. The teacher had just announced a pop quiz, so they all had to be quiet for the rest of the class time.

~~LoVe~~

 _Finally school is over_. Veronica sighed when the last bell rang. She was one of the first ones out of the classroom and went straight for her locker. She grabbed what she needed and then made her way down the hall towards the exit. When she got outside, she spotted Mac coming towards her.

"Hey, Veronica," Mac said. She fell in step with Veronica, the two of them walking to the parking lot.

"Hey, Mac. What's up?"

"Oh not much. Made it another step closer to world domination, but that's my usual day," Mac said, smiling at Veronica, who smiled back. "I heard about lunch."

"Oh, who hasn't?!" Veronica exclaimed. Mac chuckled.

"So, it's all over. Carmen's free from that prick." Veronica nodded. "What about the backup site we made?" Mac asked. "One click and everyone and their mom will hear about Tad's 'secret' affairs," Mac said conspiratorially.

Veronica nodded, smirking as they stopped at Mac's car first. "Well, as much as I am all for it, we should probably just hold onto it."

Mac nodded. "Gotcha. Hold onto it. No problem," she said, turning to open her car door. "See ya, Veronica."

"Bye Mac," Veronica said, waving at Mac as she made her way over towards her own car.

When Veronica got to her car, she dropped her bag into the passenger's seat. Before starting the car, she took out her phone and called Logan, hoping he would answer. She sighed. _He usually responds pretty quickly to my texts, but hasn't texted me back today. And now he's not answering his phone_. Veronica tried again. But still no answer. She took a moment to think, before deciding on what to do. Putting the key into the ignition, she turned the Le Baron on and then drove out of the Neptune High parking lot.

~~LoVe~~

Logan's car was the only car in the driveway when Veronica got to his house. _It looks like everything's been fixed up. Trina and his dad don't seem to be around… Thank God._ She parked next to his car and then walked towards the front door. She knocked a few times and waited. She could hear footsteps coming so she took a small step back after realizing how close she had been standing to the door. The door opened to reveal Mrs. Navarro.

"Oh, hello Veronica. Good to see you! Come in. Come in," Mrs. Navarro said, opening the door wider so Veronica could walk into the house.

"Thanks Mrs. Navarro. Is Logan around? He wasn't at school today, and I saw his car parked outside." The two of them walked into the living room, just before hitting the stairs that led up to the bedrooms.

"Oh, he's been up in his bedroom all day. Hasn't come out for anything other than small snacks," Mrs. Navarro said, giving a small shrug.

Veronica nodded. "Thanks." Mrs. Navarro gave her a small smile, and Veronica turned to walk upstairs.

~~LoVe~~

Veronica had been to the Echolls' place hundreds of times, each time nothing inside or out changed. Even now, after more than a year since the last time she's really walked the halls of the mansion, everything looked the same. The paintings hanging along the walls were the same ones that were there from when she'd first visited. Even the color of the walls were the same.

As Veronica walked up the stairs towards Logan's room, memories began to flood her mind. At almost every corner she could picture herself with Lily or Logan or Duncan, chasing each other throughout the rooms, pulling pranks on each other, or simply talking about whatever. She sighed. _Such simpler times_.

When she finally reached Logan's door, she shook herself out of the memories. _C'mon Veronica. No need to bring back memories that'll just end up making you sad_. Veronica hesitated for a moment at Logan's door. Should she knock and wait? Should she knock and then just go in? Veronica rolled her eyes at herself. _Logan never really cared if we would just barge into his room_. Mind made up, Veronica knocked on the door softly, but loud enough for him to hear, and then opened the door slowly. "Logan?" she said, slowly walking into his room.

~~LoVe~~ The Day Before (Logan's POV)

When Logan left the Mars' apartment, he drove aimlessly around town for about an hour or so, thinking about what's happened in the last few days. _Dad's been acting more odd than usual. He'll act like he actually meant what he said about 'stopping this war between us', and then all of a sudden he's back to being his douchebag abusive asshole self… But then again, what did I really expect? For him to actually literally mean what he said?_ Logan shook his head, scoffing at the thought. _He'd say something like that, apologizing almost every time, but he never actually stopped. Only when mom — or other women — would distract him with whatever, would he leave me alone for a while…_ Logan turned another corner, not really caring where he was going. _I know I'll have to go check on the house eventually today. I told Veronica I would and God knows she'll ask about it tomorrow, so I hope the bastard's out_. Logan turned another corner, driving by Dog Beach. He looked out when he was at a red light. People littered the sand, many swimming despite the chilly temperatures. _Maybe I could just forego the whole checking on the house and just hit up Dick to play some video games… If Veronica asks, I can always say it looks fine. It probably is anyway. No doubt Aaron had it all taken care of already_.

Logan drove around some more, stopping to grab a bite to eat at a Jack in the Box drive-thru. He sat in his car in the beach parking lot, looking out to the water as he ate. He didn't want to get out. The possibility of seeing someone — or being seen by someone — he knew wasn't all that appealing at the moment. He'd like nothing more than to just go back to Veronica's place, sit with her on the couch, her in his arms as they watched tv. _Or we could do other things on the couch_. Logan sighed. He knew Veronica and she wasn't the type of girl to just jump into anything too fast… But then again, she had changed quite a bit over the past year… Logan shook his head at himself. He knows he's more experienced than she is. _No way am I going to push anything. I'm not gonna be that guy; the one that wants to move things along so early in a relationship. I won't be that guy with Veronica. She needs to set the pace. I can control myself… I hope_. Logan sighed, resting his head back against the driver's seat. He closed his eyes for a bit. He'd had the radio playing all throughout his drive around town and so he just sat back and listened for a while. Green Day's _Boulevard of Broken Dreams_ was playing and Logan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music.

His phone vibrated in his pocket just as the song was ending. He took it out leisurely, bring it up to his face, not bothering to move his head from where it rested on the seat.

12:07 p.m. To Logan From Dick:

 _Yo dude! XBox my place in 1 hr?_

Logan chuckled to himself. _It's almost like you read my mind, my friend._

12:08 p.m. To Dick From Logan:

 _Sure man. C u l8r_

Reluctantly, Logan drove his way to his house. It's not that he was scared of Aaron anymore. He just didn't want to have to deal with him. _Things have been so great between Veronica and I. I go from being immensely happy from spending time with her, to being miserable, annoyed, and frustrated from having to be back home… with Aaron… And let's not forget Trina. She may not exactly produce the same feelings from me as Aaron does, but she can still be so annoying and frustrating_. Logan pulled up to the house. There were no cars parked inside, but that didn't mean nobody was home. Both Trina and Aaron had the tendency to leave their cars in the garage and just call for a driver instead of driving themselves.

Logan got out of his X-Terra, going around to the passenger's side to grab his duffel bag and backpack. He walked towards the area that had been burned yesterday. It was all fixed up. If Logan hadn't seen the damage for himself yesterday, he wouldn't have even realized that there had been a fire.

He walked into the house, noticing how quiet it was. It seemed like nobody was home, not even the staff. _Hmmm. In past experiences, this can either mean that everyone's gone out somewhere — Daddy dearest off with some whore or other, and Trina out with whatever people she hangs out with — or Aaron has sent everyone off so they won't interrupt any "discussion" we may have in his study_. Logan walked through the house, heading straight for his bedroom. At every corner he checked for any noises. He made it to his room without hearing or seeing anyone. _Thank God_.

After putting his dirty clothes into the hamper, and putting his other stuff back to where they went, he grabbed his backpack and dropped it onto his bed. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. _Hmmm. Still 40 minutes until video games with Dick… I guess I could finish my homework_. Within twenty-five minutes, he'd managed to finish all of his homework. He put it away and flopped back onto his bed. _What the fuck happened to me? Since when do I ever feel this bored and can't think of something fun to do?_ Logan rolled his eyes and sighed, covering his face with his right arm. _Who cares_. He had been close to falling asleep when his phone vibrated in his pocket and jolted him awake. He looked at the caller ID: _Trina_. Logan sighed. _What could she want?_ He answered reluctantly.

"Yeah Trina?"

"Oh, good. You answered! For a minute I thought you'd let it go to voicemail like you tend to do, little brother, but you—"

Logan let out a huff. "C'mon, Trina. Just get it out already."

He heard her sigh. "Fine. If you insist… So, I'm in a little bit of a jam. I could use a loan."

Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Wow. You've been home for what? Five days? And I've seen you only once, not that I'm complaining. And the next time you make contact you're hitting me up for money!" _The family I got stuck with_.

"You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"Oh, I do. I do," Logan laughs, annoyed.

"Could I just borrow… ten grand? Just for a little while."

" _Ten grand_!" Logan exclaims, incredulous.

"Will you just hear me out, please? My boyfriend Dylan spotted me some cash a few months ago and… now he's bugging me about it. I-I can't get him off my back."

Logan smirks. "Did you try standing up?"

"Thanks. Knew I could count on you," Trina says sarcastically. She ends the call before Logan could say anything else.

Logan looks down at his phone, shaking his head. _Really Trina? Ten grand!?_ He put his phone back inside his pocket and gets up from his bed.

~~LoVe~~

"Dude, you're cheating! Stop fucking cheating!" Dick exclaims, moving to shove Logan with his shoulder.

Logan chuckles. "It's not called cheating when you're good, Dick."

"Then why do _I_ have the high score, huh!?" Dick exclaimed, shoving Logan again. "You're cheating!"

When Logan had arrived at the Casablancas' place, Dick and Cassidy were in the media room, already playing video games. Junk food was scattered throughout the room. A bowl of popcorn, boxes of candy, bags of chips, full and empty beer bottles littered the coffee table and floor around the boys.

"Hey, so party this weekend, dude," Dick said, trying to catch up to Logan in the game they were playing.

"Oh, yeah?" Logan said, absentmindedly. He was focused on winning the game.

"For sure, man! It's gonna be awesome!" Dick exclaimed.

"Is that so?" Logan said.

"Hell yeah! Dad's off in who-the-fuck-cares-where with his latest chick." Dick laughed. "They'll probably come back married and shit! Ha!"

Cassidy frowned, making a face at his brother. "Shut up Dick," he said, getting up to go to the kitchen for a glass of ice water.

Dick didn't acknowledge what Cassidy said or did. He just continued to play the game. Logan, though, did notice. He glanced over at Dick, looking to see if Cassidy got a reaction out of him, but Dick wasn't fazed. He was focused on the television screen, controller in his hands, tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth. Logan mentally chuckled. _Simple guy, this one_.

Cassidy returned a couple of minutes later and the three of them played a few different games over the next three and a half hours, only taking a break once when the pizza arrived.

"Shit man! That was a sick move," Dick exclaimed as he stuffed a piece of cold pizza into his mouth.

Logan chuckled. "Hell yeah it was," he said, just before finishing the level. "And that is how it's done!" He set the controller down on the coffee table in front of him before leaning back against the couch.

"Well, as much fun as it is playing video games with the two of you, I have some things I need to do," Cassidy said as he got up from the couch.

" _'Some things'_? What could _you_ possibly have to do?" Dick asked in a teasing tone.

Cassidy glared at him. He rolled his eyes and left without saying a word. Dick just shrugged when Logan looked at him with a questioning look on his face.

"So, did you—" Logan was cut off by the ring of his cell phone. He took it out from his pocket and checked the caller ID. He let out a heavy sigh. _Aaron_.

"Hello?" he reluctantly answered.

"Logan, get your ass home now!" Aaron ordered in an even tone. He wasn't yelling, but his even tone made Logan tense up immediately. _Shit, this can not be good_.

"Yeah, okay. Be right there," Logan replied, trying to keep the unease that was beginning to build from being noticeable in his voice.

"You better," Aaron said, before hanging up.

Logan moved the phone in front of his face, staring at the now black screen. _Shit!_ He felt Dick move next to him. He was grabbing yet another slice of pizza.

"Uh, sorry man, but I gotta go," Logan said, getting up from the couch. He started to walk towards the door.

"Yeah, a'righ'. See ya la'er man!" Dick said around a bite of pizza.

~~LoVe~~

Before Logan even got home, he could feel what was coming. There wasn't really anything for him to do. If he didn't show, the longer it took him to show up, the worse it'll be. He'd tried to hide away at Duncan's house once about three years ago. He'd managed to stay over there for almost four days, but Aaron had come over under the guise that he was there to pick Logan up because the family was going to go out for a family dinner. Logan, of course, could see past the lie. The Kanes, not so much. He'd needed to go to the hospital after that one.

He pulled up, parked the car, and moved briskly to the door. The house was pretty quiet when he walked in. There wasn't anyone in the living room. There wasn't anyone in the kitchen. As he passed the downstairs bathroom, he heard movement back in the kitchen though. Logan gulped, turning around to return to the kitchen area.

"Ah, Logan you're here!" Aaron said, waving around a glass of whiskey. He gestured towards his study. "You know where I'll be," he said, before turning to leave the kitchen.

Logan sighed heavily, leaning against the wall. He tried to calm himself down. He'd been down this road before. He knows how it works; how Aaron works. _Before you know it, it'll be tomorrow and he'll be gone doing who-the-fuck-cares what_. He pushed himself off from against the wall.

After he picked the belt, he gingerly walked into Aaron's study, coming to stand right in front of the doorway. He was sipping from his glass as he looked at his shelf of awards. _Some things I'll just never understand_.

**Aaron turned around to face Logan after he caught his reflection in the glass of a framed poster he had up next to the shelf. "So I was working on some things. Finalizing some papers and whatnot. When I get a call from your school counselor." Aaron took a sip from his glass and took a couple steps closer to Logan. They were separated by about three feet now. "Were they calling to tell me about how excellent of a student my son is? Were they calling to talk about an award perhaps? NO!" Aaron yelled, slamming the glass onto his desk, spilling a little bit of the whiskey in the process. He took another couple steps closer, until he was right in front of Logan. "They were calling about how my _son_ ," he spit out the word. "had skipped not _one_ , not _two_ , but _three_ of his damn classes this week!" He grabbed Logan by the collar and yanked him, throwing him against the wall. Logan had dropped the belt the moment Aaron had grabbed him. "My god, Logan! What do you do!? Live to embarrass me, huh!?" He kicked Logan twice in the stomach, before picking him up from the ground again.

Logan made as little noise as he possibly could. He knew how much that seemed to spur Aaron on. From memory and instinct he knew where and how to move so the blows would't hurt so much.

"You know, I would have thought that maybe after so long you'd learn!" Aaron slapped Logan across his face. Logan fell to the floor again, spitting out some blood. He could already feel the bruises beginning to form, his left eye beginning to swell up. Aaron picked up the belt, towering over Logan. Logan didn't even bother with trying to get up or move away. He knew what was coming and braced himself for the impact. "You know this hurts me more than it hurts you, son," Aaron said, before he began to administer the blows.

Usually Aaron would tire out after about ten minutes. This time had looked to be no different. However, after about two minutes, Aaron's phone began to ring. He dropped the belt onto the floor and wiped his hands on his pants, before he took out his phone. "It looks like we're done here," Aaron said, a little bit out of breath. He left the room, and Logan could hear him answering the phone down the hall, sounding as if he hadn't done anything wrong. As if it was just any regular day. _Well, I guess this could count as being a 'regular' day in the Echolls' household_.

Carefully, Logan picked himself up from the floor. He could feel the blood dripping down his back and flinched at the pain that came with moving. _Thank God for whoever called him just now_. He left Aaron's study and began to make his way towards his room.

When Logan got to his room, he grabbed some clean clothes and went to the en suite bathroom. Opening his medicine cabinet, he took out some painkillers, dry swallowing a couple. He carefully took off his clothes, mindful of the injuries he'd just gotten. He turned on the shower and stepped in.

After ten minutes of standing underneath the water's spray, Logan felt slightly better. He no longer saw red in the water and he could stand up straighter without hurting. _The pills are doing their job, finally_. He spent the next five minutes washing the rest of himself, before shutting off the water and stepping out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and dried himself, putting on a clean pair of boxers. Standing in front of the mirror, Logan turned to assess the damage. Red welts covered his back, and he knew that they weren't likely to start bleeding again unless he turned wrong or something — _or someone_ — touched his back too roughly. His face wasn't looking as bad as he thought it would. It had felt as if his whole face would turn black and blue. _Good thing it didn't_. His left eye was swelling up and beginning to bruise, along with his cheek. But that was all the damage he could see at the moment.**

Logan sighed, putting the rest of his clothes on. _Fuck!_ He remembered an incident a few months ago. He'd had a similar encounter with Aaron, and had gone to school the next day. He'd felt fine, until Dick had slapped him on the back a little too hard. It was a good thing he'd been wearing two darker colored shirts that day. He'd still had to leave school early — _and skip surfing with the guys after school_ — to go home and clean up again.

 _Looks like it's for the best I don't go to school tomorrow_. Logan grabbed another handful of painkillers before going back out into his bedroom. He placed them on his bedside table and then grabbed a bottle of Jack from inside his closet, setting it next to the pills. He flopped onto his bed, laying on his stomach. He shook his head and laughed sardonically. _At least skipping class won't exactly be entirely my fault this time_. He grabbed the bottle of Jack and took a swig, before setting it back onto the table. He could feel the painkillers and alcohol mixing together, and was slowly beginning to fade, when he felt his phone vibrate next to him. He grabbed for it, not bothering to open his eyes until he had it at eye level. He looked at the screen. It was blurry for a minute, so he blinked a few times to make it clearer. When he could see more clearly, he read the screen.

 _6:49 p.m. 'Unknown' calling_

Logan didn't bother. He tossed his phone to the side and shut his eyes. Sleep came soon enough.

~~LoVe~~

Logan awoke a couple of times during the next couple of hours. By 9:30 he'd already managed to wake up five times for whatever reason. It was like he was taking nap after nap.

He started to feel a little bit hungry so he decided he'd go downstairs and grab something. Slowly, he got up from the bed. _Shit, that hurts_. The pain was beginning to come back. He dry swallowed another couple of painkillers before leaving his room. He walked as quietly down the hallway as he could. He couldn't hear anything or anyone as he walked through the house.

By the time Logan made it to the kitchen, he'd deduced that nobody else was home. He walked over to the refrigerator, having decided he'd just make himself a sandwich, when he saw a note taped to the door. He grabbed it before opening the fridge.

 _Have to go to L.A. Be back in two days. - Dad_.

Logan blew out a breath. _Hallelujah. No Aaron for two whole fucking days!_ He tossed the note into the trash before grabbing what he needed from the refrigerator. _Better make the most of it_.

It was almost ten o'clock when Logan had finished eating his sandwich. He didn't feel tired, but he didn't really feel like doing anything either. Sighing, Logan went back to his room, deciding he'll just watch a movie or something.

He looked at the clock when he got back to his room. It was just around the time Veronica would usually be going to bed. _God, if only I could have spent my entire day with her instead_. Logan sat down on his bed, grabbed his phone and sent her a text.

10:17 p.m. To Veronica From Logan:

 _Goodnight V. C u 2moro_

Setting the phone back onto his bed, Logan got up to choose a movie to watch. _Hmmm. Ghostbusters or Dude, Where's My Car?_ Once he decided on the movie — _Ghostbusters_ — he pushed play and sat back down onto his bed, making sure he wasn't leaning all the way back. The movie was just starting when he felt his phone vibrate.

10:32 p.m. To Logan From Veronica:

 _Goodnight Lo. XOXO_

Logan smiled, starting to relax again. _Guess Veronica just has that effect on me_.

* * *

So, this chapter was definitely more Logan-centered. What did you guys think?

Next chapter will begin with Logan's POV and basically just continue from where this one leaves off.

Please review! Thanks. XOXO


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

 **Chapter Word Count** : 4,258

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Hey guys! SOOOO sorry about the long wait for an update on the story! SO much has been going on, that I've had a hard time finding time to write and edit. But no worries! This update comes with three new chapters! Hopefully that'll somewhat make up for it. I'd thought about posting it all as one long chapter, but - obviously - decided not to.

Anyway, I've changed the fic rating from T to M. There is some smut (pretty tame) in this chapter, but it's not at an M rating... yet. There will probably (most likely, yes, maybe) be some M rated scenes in future chapters.

ALSO! Remember that other story I was writing? The one where Veronica basically becomes a 'famous' singer? Yeah, well, I haven't really touched it much. My attention is mostly just on this story. But, what do you guys think? Would ya'll want it out soon? I had initially planned on posting it after this one ended, but now I'm not even sure when this one will be done. (Oops?) So, would ya'll want both stories going at the same time? Or no?

Please let me know your thoughts, comments, concerns!

* * *

When Logan woke up the next day, he felt very groggy, sore, and stiff. He lifted his head from the pillow, turning to look at the clock resting on his bedside table. _1:33 p.m. Holy shit! I slept for more than twelve hours!_ He dropped his face back down onto the pillow and sighed. _It's not like I was gonna go to school today anyway…. But Veronica… no doubt she'll probably figure out_ ** _something_** _is up. She's always been perceptive, even more so now that she's been doing her P.I. thing_. He reluctantly got up from his position on the bed. Last night, he'd fallen asleep about halfway through the movie. Luckily, he'd managed to fall asleep on his stomach, so his back wasn't feeling as bad as it could have.

Once Logan sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he wiped at his face. Even though he'd slept for more than twelve hours, he still felt tired. _It's probably just the stiffness and the soreness… Not to mention, my back is beginning to sting now that I've moved positions_. He looked up when he heard his phone vibrate on the bedside table. He gingerly moved forward and was just about to check who had sent him a text message, when on the screen popped up the message: "Low battery. Powering off now." Logan groaned, throwing his cell back onto the table. _Of course it would_. He shook his head as he opened the top drawer to his bedside table to grab his cell phone charger.

Logan got up from the bed slowly, his back aching and stinging with every move he made. He just breathed through it, knowing the pain wouldn't last forever. Once he was upright, he walked into the bathroom to quickly wash up. Two minutes later, he exited the bathroom. He grabs the bottle of painkillers, shaking a couple out onto his hand. He swallows them on his way out of his room.

~~LoVe~~

On his way down the stairs, Logan had remembered that his dad had left to Los Angeles the prior night. His mood lightened up at that. _No Aaron for any amount of time is always good_. He didn't expect to see anyone other than Mrs. Navarro, not even Trina. Most days, she's out of the house doing whatever she does with whoever, and then she'll come back — sometimes — for the night. That was what Logan had been expecting, but what Logan expected to happen and what actually happens are more often than not two different things.

"Oh, hello little brother. Rough night?" Trina says, before taking a bite from her salad.

Logan says nothing, glaring at her as he walks to the refrigerator. He grabs the orange juice, pours himself a glass and then begins to make his way to the pop tarts when he sees a plate of pancakes covered in plastic wrap. There's a sticky note with his name written on it. Logan grins as he grabs the plate. _At least there's one decent person spending their time in this house_.

"You know dad's gone to LA for a couple of days?" Trina says, throwing away her trash. "I think he's thinking about getting back into acting again."

Logan snorts, incredulous. _I really doubt he'll last very long, telling people he's done with acting. No way will he be able to stand not being the center of other people's attention for much longer. And Trina continuing to bring up the topic will only get him closer to cracking, no doubt_.

"Whatever Trina," Logan says, walking out of the kitchen with his 'breakfast'. _It's now getting closer to being 2 p.m…. Well, it's gotta be breakfast somewhere_. He can hear Trina saying something as he begins to walk up the stairs, but can't make out what.

~~LoVe~~

His phone had turned back on by the time he made it back to his room. He decides to eat and then shower before checking his messages.

Before getting in the shower, Logan checked to see how his back was looking. The marks were all still red. There wasn't any bleeding, but the lashes were not healed just yet, so any wrong movement or touch could still reopen the wounds.

Standing under the spray of the water helped ease some of the sting Logan still felt. He stood still for a couple of minutes, letting the water soothe his skin, before washing up. As soon as he's out of the shower, he grabs what he needs to tend to his wounds. _Ointment, bandages, the works_. He's done this enough times by himself to know the best way to cover as many of the wounds, with as little pain, as possible. It still takes him a little over thirty minutes to finish up, though.

He walks out of the bathroom sans t-shirt, so he goes to grab one out of the dresser. He can hear his cell phone vibrate on the bedside table, alerting him of another text message. He puts his t-shirt on carefully, moving in such a way as to not mess up the bandages he's just put on. _Not so successfully though. There's barely any bandage covering the wounds... I can only reach around so much without causing more stabs of pain_.

He walks over and sits on his bed to check his messages. There are fourteen unread text messages and five missed calls. Dick, Luke and even Madison have each texted him twice. _How the hell did Madison Sinclair get my phone number!?_ Duncan had sent him three messages and called him twice. Veronica sent him five messages and called him three times.

He scrolls through his texts. Most of them are just variations of the same thing. _Hey, where are you? Coming to class?_ Dick asked him if he wanted to surf tomorrow, and then sent him another text that was literally unreadable. _What the hell was that even supposed to say?_ Veronica had also left a voicemail. It was more or less the same as most of the text messages, but the way she sounded... _She seems... worried?_ Logan sat there thinking for a few minutes. Sure, his friends had always sent him messages like this whenever he wouldn't make it to school because he was 'sick'. But it'd all just felt so superficial to him, most days. Like they only asked just to ask. Like it was just so it seemed like they cared when really it was all just about how they looked to everyone else. _Hey, where's Logan today? Oh, I asked him this morning and he texted me saying he's sick_. Logan had grown up with people like that all his life, and the kids at Neptune High, especially the ones he 'associated' with - _more like they tried to associate with me_ \- were certainly no different. _But, then again, some of these guys really do have my back. They may actually care_.

Veronica was different, though. He knew her. And she knew him. She'd always been so genuinely caring; genuine in everything she did. Sure, they'd been estranged for just over a year, but Logan _knew_ that part of her was still there. At least with people she cared about. _So, now the question remains... Does she really care enough to actually mean it when she checks in? Or is this just, like, some reflex?_ Logan blew out a breath and looked down at the phone in his hands. _What we've got going on now sure as hell makes me want to believe she really cares. It's been really great, just being with her_.

He stood up from the bed, unplugging his phone from the outlet, and walked out to his room's balcony. He sat down in one of the chairs and opened up his text messages again. He declined Dick's offer to go surfing and then sent the same generic response to Luke and Duncan: _Felt sick today. C u guys 2moro_. School had just let out so they replied back with the same _Ok_ texts.

Logan was about to call Veronica, when he heard a faint sound come from downstairs. He walked down to the kitchen to find Mrs. Navarro cooking something on the stovetop. She looked at him, but didn't say anything. He knew she most likely knew why he was home and had not gone to school. _She's probably always known about Aaron_. He walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water, and then picked an apple from out of the basket on the table, before heading back upstairs to his room.

He set the bottle of water on his bedside table and took a bite out of his apple. He pulled his phone out again and began to dial Veronica's phone number when he heard her voice coming from downstairs. He furrowed his eyebrows. _She's here?_ He closed his phone, putting it back into his pocket. _Of course, she's here, Echolls! Where else would she be? Her boyfriend was a no-show at school today and then didn't answer her calls or texts! She's going to come by to see what's up_. He could hear Lilly yelling at him in his mind. He shook his head, noticing how messy his room looked at the moment. _Clean up after yourself, Logan!_ He rolled his eyes, but tried to tidy things up at least a little bit before Veronica made it up the stairs. _God, Lilly, you sound just like your mother_. He smiled when he heard her scoff at him.

He couldn't quite figure out why he was starting to feel so self-conscious and nervous all of a sudden. He'd never cared what his room looked like before, and he knew Veronica most likely wouldn't care either. She never had before. _At least,_ ** _not really_** _anyway. She'd come by and tease me from time to time, but I always knew she only did it to poke fun. She never really meant any of it_. But for whatever reason, the way he presented himself, bedroom tidiness included, mattered. _Oh, don't act dumb Logan. You know_ ** _exactly_** _why you're feeling this way_. He shook his head at Lilly's continued comments, focusing only on tidying up his room as much as he could in his current state of injury.

He'd just put away some things into his closet when he heard a soft knock on the door. He turned his head slightly, still putting things away, and could see the door opening slowly, followed by Veronica saying, "Logan?".

~~Veronica's POV~~

When Veronica opened the door, the first thing she saw was Logan's bed. The door to his balcony was opened slightly, but she couldn't tell if he was out there or not. Opening the door wider, she heard a soft thud.

"Hey," Logan greeted when Veronica had opened the door all the way. He shoved a box away with his foot before closing his closet door.

Veronica walked farther into Logan's room, pushing the door closed behind her. "Hey," she said, giving him a small smile.

Logan walked a couple of steps closer. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "How was school? Did I miss anything interesting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Veronica smirked. "Well, it was just like any other day. You did miss the Tad meltdown, though," she said, dropping her bag onto Logan's bed.

"The Tad meltdown?" Logan asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah. Carmen and I were sitting in the quad at lunch, talking when he came out of the school building waving his laptop in the air, yelling like a crazy man as he walked towards us." She smirked. "Carmen told him off and then Weevil came over with some of his guys. They exchanged words. There was some 'fighting' for like two seconds." She shrugged. "Case closed," she said smiling.

Logan stepped towards her, taking her hands in his. "You're okay? He didn't get a chance to do anything, right?" he asked, rubbing his thumbs over Veronica's hands.

Veronica moved her hands up Logan's arms, settling them on his chest. His hands settled on her waist. She stared at his shirt collar for a second before answering. "No," she said, smiling slightly, as she looked up at him. "No. I'm fine."

Logan gave a small, short nod. "Good," he said softly. He leaned down slowly towards Veronica and she met him halfway, kissing him softly, sighing as their lips met.

When they finally separated a minute later, Logan rested his forehead against hers, smiling. Veronica smiled back, before moving back slightly. She narrowed her eyes at him, small smile still in place. "Why weren't you at school today, anyway?" Veronica asked.

Logan looked down for a second, tightening his hold on Veronica's waist slightly. He looked back up at her and shrugged. "Yeah, I ordered some take-out for dinner yesterday. And it did not sit well with me. Felt pretty bad last night, so I took some medicine and next thing you know I'm completely knocked out the second I hit the bed. No biggie," he said, shrugging once more. He gently cupped Veronica's cheek, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm fine now, though." He shrugged again. "Woke up _reeeally_ late, but I feel way better," he said, giving Veronica an adorable smile.

Veronica pursed her lips, mulling over what he'd said, before finally nodding. "Okay." She slid her hands up slowly to rest on his shoulders. "I sent you a couple texts and called," she said, softly.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't get back to you," he said, sighing. "I think I woke up, like, around 1:30." He shook his head. "I heard my phone go off, but right when I was going to check what it was, the battery died." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Put it to charge while I got washed up and ate something. I was about to call you, but then I heard you talking to Mrs. Navarro so..."

Veronica nodded. _He looks fine_. _Of course he looks_ ** _fine_** _, Veronica Mars. He's Logan Echolls!_ Veronica mentally rolled her eyes at Lilly's commentary. _She's not wrong, but that's not what I meant_.

"So," Logan began, kissing Veronica's cheek. "What shall we do, hmm?" He asks, lips against her ear.

Veronica's eyes close and she shivers from the feel of Logan's lips. He tightens his hold around her. "Hmmm," she hums against his neck. Her hands move up to Logan's head, threading through his soft, silky hair. Logan's lips travel across her skin, leaving small kisses against her neck, her cheek, before finally she pulls him down so that their lips meet.

The kisses start off as soft, slow, gentle caresses, but quickly turns into something hot. They move towards the bed, until Logan's legs hit its edge. He slowly sits, bringing Veronica down with him. She straddles his lap. Neither of them break the kiss.

Veronica's hands move through Logan's hair, leaving it disheveled. She tightens her legs around his, enjoying the feeling of him against her. Logan moves his hands up and down her back, moving further south each time. He hesitantly sets his hands over her ass, slowly grasping tighter. Veronica's soft moans and deeper kisses spur him on. He kisses her lips, long and deep, tongues melding against each other. He breaks the kiss, leaving a trail of wet, hot kisses from her lips, to her cheek, down her neck. Veronica gasps, pulling him closer. She grasps at the nape of his neck with one hand, the other moving down his chest, to his side, settling on his waist, gripping at his t-shirt. Logan's hands squeeze her ass causing her to gasp at the feeling. " _Logan_ ," she sighs against his skin. She moves closer, inadvertently grinding against him, eliciting a soft moan from Logan. _Fuck, Veronica_. She gasps at the sensation; the feel of him, hard, against her.

At one point in her life, Veronica would have recoiled out of embarrassment. She'd never done this with anyone. Not even Duncan. They'd never really gone this far. Every time they would 'make out', they would have been sitting _next_ to each other. Sometimes Veronica had felt like she was doing something wrong, because shouldn't boys want to do _more_ with their girlfriends? But then Duncan would smile at her and she'd smile back and just ignore it. Now, though, she welcomed it. She and Logan may have just recently started a relationship, and she was certain she wasn't ready for sex, but this was okay. _Oh, boy, this is more than okay. This._ ** _This_** _is what it's supposed to be like_. Veronica knows Logan is far more experienced, but she also knows the type of person he is. She knows he'd never pressure her into anything. She wanted to move against him some more, but knew that could possibly lead to _much more_ and she wasn't 100% sure if she wanted things to go very far yet, so she just reveled in the sensations Logan's lips and hands - _and other body parts_ \- were giving her right now.

 _My God, this feels amazing_. She gasps as Logan bites down gently on the area where her neck meets her shoulder. He continues to kiss, and bite, _and suck_. Veronica can't help the soft moans and gasps and sighs that escape her. _Don't. Stop_. She's pretty sure he'll end up leaving a hickey if she doesn't stop him. And on any other, normal day she knows she probably _should_ stop him from leaving a hickey in such an obvious plain-in-sight place. But all of Veronica's rational thought is nonexistent in this moment. She kisses him back, also leaving kisses against his neck and cheek. But she finds herself pausing to let out soft moans or gasps.

Logan slows down his ministrations on Veronica's neck. His kisses begin to travel back up her neck, her cheek. He's goes to kiss her lips, but moves away at the last moment, eliciting a soft whine from Veronica. He smiles and then continues kissing the other side of Veronica's neck, turning that soft whine into a content sigh. He moves his hands from her ass, slowly inching underneath her shirt. Veronica sighs against his neck, kissing him softly, as his fingers slowly caress the soft skin of her back.

Veronica finds herself feeling more daring. She moves her hand from his waist, sliding it underneath his shirt and hesitantly moves her hand against his abs. She feels Logan still for a split second, letting out a long, soft moan, before he leaves another soft bite against her neck. _Holy shit, Veronica_. She continues to move her hand across his abs - _his hard abs_ \- and feels him shiver against her touch. She instantly loves that she can do that to him, so she doesn't stop. Slowly, her hand travels up his chest, then back down to his abs, and up again. She could feel him getting harder, closer, even through the confines of his jeans. _Oh my God, yes_.

" _Veronica_ ," Logan groans. He moves away from her neck and kisses her lips, hard and deep. Veronica gasps at his sudden movement, but sighs into the kiss. _Damn, he's such a good kisser_. Their lips mold together, tongues caressing. Logan moves his hands back to Veronica's ass and squeezes, before moving one up to caress her head, deepening the kiss even further. Veronica's hands move down his chest, his abs, and out from under his shirt so she can wrap her arms around his neck. Their chests press together, not a sliver of space between them.

They continue to make out, and by this point, Veronica is so lost in it she doesn't even register much of what she's doing. Logan's kisses are so intoxicating, she's lost all sense of thought. She's been consumed by touch. _By his touch_. She doesn't register it, but she's moving against him. They're kissing, hot and heavy, and she's grinding against him, slowly. Logan's lost his sense of thought as well. He's holding her to him, enjoying the feel of her against him. He loves what she does to him; how she makes him feel. Had either of them their rational thought, they'd stop what they were doing before things got too far, but they're so consumed by the other that it seems almost impossible at the moment.

 _Seconds, minutes, hours?_ go by before they stop. Veronica's cell phone goes off rather loudly next to them, causing them to both jump a little at the interruption. They separate, resting their foreheads together, panting. Logan leans in a couple seconds later, kissing Veronica slowly, soft and sweet once more. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear with one hand, the other grabbing her cell phone for her. She doesn't move from her position against him and Logan doesn't mind. _I definitely don't mind. She can sit here forever_. Veronica takes her phone from him, leaning against him. Logan's state of arousal hasn't changed in the last five minutes, so he closes his eyes and rests his head on Veronica's shoulder, trying to calm down. _Think of baseball stats… Of schoolwork…_ As she checks her phone, reading through the text messages she's received, she absentmindedly strokes Logan's hair, leaning her cheek against the top of his head. _Hmmm, that feels nice_.

3:23 p.m. To Veronica From Dad:

 _Things looking great for this case. C u tomorrow afternoon_.

3:37 p.m. To Veronica From Wallace:

 _Moms wants 2 kno if u wanna have dinner w/us... again -.- haha_

4:01 p.m. _Missed Call_

4:37 p.m. _Missed Call_

Veronica sighs. She responds to her dad, telling him that she's glad it went well. She declines Alicia's offer for dinner. _I definitely don't think I'll be eating alone though_. She glances down at Logan and smiles. His face is nestled comfortably against her neck, arms encircled around her waist snugly. She continues to stroke his hair gently, and is responded to with a content sigh from Logan. _For a second I almost thought he may have fallen asleep_.

The two missed calls are from a number that Veronica doesn't recognize. They left a voicemail after the second call, so she presses a button on her phone and brings it up to her ear to listen.

" _Hello... Veronica Mars? Uhm, this is Mandy. Do you still want me to come by your dad's office today? ... Uhm, well, please get back to me if you can... Goodbye... Thanks._ " _Shit! I forgot all about that!_ Veronica checks the time on her phone. _4:51 p.m._ Veronica lets out a breath, relieved. She'd told Mandy to meet her at Mars Investigations at 6 o' clock. _There's still time. I didn't stand the poor girl up_. She decides to simply send Mandy a text message, confirming their meeting. Mandy responds almost immediately.

Veronica tosses her cell phone to the side, so that it lands on top of her bag. "Logan," she says softly, gently rubbing his shoulder with her hand. "Hey," she says, a little louder this time, patting him gently on the back of his neck.

"Hmmm?" Logan responds, tightening his hold around her waist for a second before releasing. He moves his head up from Veronica's shoulder slowly.

"Hey," Veronica says softly, giving him a small smile.

Logan smiles back. "Hi," he sighs. "What was all that about?" he asks, gesturing towards her cell phone.

"Hmm. Dad messaged me on how his case was going. Wallace's mom wanted to know if I'd be joining them for dinner and I got two missed calls from a girl I'm helping out," Veronica replied, hands moving to rest on his chest.

Logan raises an eyebrow. "New case?" Veronica shrugs, smile still in place. "Already?!" Logan exclaims, smiling. _Damn, this girl and her cases. Didn't she_ ** _just_** _barely solve a case!?_ Veronica chuckles lightly. Logan slightly shakes his head. "What's this one about?"

Veronica leans back a little. "This girl, Mandy, lost her dog." Veronica sighed. "You should've seen her. She looked so miserable putting up flyers around school," she said, compassionate expression appearing on her face.

"Aannd she isn't capable of finding her dog on her own?" Logan asked, eyebrow raised.

Veronica frowned at him. "Oh c'mon Logan. Don't be like that. You know full well I'd be going out of my mind if I were to lose Backup... Besides, she... doesn't exactly seem like the type of person to _really_ go around place to place and ask around."

Logan shrugged, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. "Fine. Alright. I get it." Veronica smiled. He sighed. "You want any help?" he asked, moving his hand to caress her cheek.

Veronica shook her head. "Nahh. I'm meeting her at the office at 6. I'm gonna help her make some flyers. Probably end up going to the pound, you know. See if maybe they've got him and whatnot."

"So... The basics, then," Logan said, moving his hand from her cheek down her side to settle once again on her waist.

Veronica nodded. "Mmhmm. Wanna come with?" she asked, tilting her head as she did so.

Logan smiled. "Yeah," he said, giving her a soft kiss. "Sure," he mumbled against her lips. They continued to make out like this, with unhurried soft, tender kisses until it was time to head to Mars Investigations.

* * *

Two more chapters await! Please read and leave a review. (If you're up for it. I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life.)

Also, anyone else going out to see KB in Bad Moms?! I saw it the Friday it came out! :) Our Queen Marshmallow is just so amazing, isn't she? The movie was SOOO hilarious! I think I'm going to go see it again.

As always, Peace and Blessings.

XOXO


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,216

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

* * *

"Veronica?" Mandy asked nervously, as she walked into Mars Investigations.

Logan and Veronica looked up from where they were sitting. When they'd gotten to the office, Veronica head received a text message from Mandy, letting her know that she was running late. Veronica had gone ahead and made up the lost dog flyers for Mandy. Logan had sat down in a chair in front of her desk, she sitting in the chair next to him. He'd let her do her work, making comments here and there about font or picture size. Really, he'd just wanted to stare at her while she worked. _The look she gets on her face when she's concentrating... She bites her lip and man... I'm a goner_.

Veronica had finished creating the flyer in a few minutes and had just finished printing them out when Mandy walked in. They turned around at the sound of her voice. Logan took one look at her and had to remind himself not to comment on her appearance. _God, does she even look in a mirror before leaving the house? I mean, I'm pretty sure her hair counts as bed head in most states. And her clothes... It's like she's still stuck in middle school or something_. He'd turned around in such a way that his right arm rested against the back of the chair. He covered half of his face by propping his head in his hand, making it easier for him to suppress any inappropriate comments.

"Hi, Mandy," Veronica greeted, standing up from her chair. She grabbed the freshly printed flyers and walked over to where Mandy now stood by the office's sofa. Mandy glanced at Logan before looking at Veronica. She looked fairly uncomfortable. _Oh, right. Introductions_. "Oh, uh, this is my boyfriend, Logan. I hope you don't mind that he's here," Veronica said. Logan waves a hello at Mandy when she looks over at him.

Mandy shook her head. "Oh, n-no. It's okay," she said, stammering.

Logan couldn't continue to look at her, so he settled to just watch Veronica. _Jeez. I really gotta give it to Veronica. She's keeping such a straight face with this girl. I don't think I would've been able to resist saying_ ** _something_** _, mean or otherwise_. "Alright. So, I already printed up some flyers for you," Veronica says, handing the stack of flyers over to Mandy.

"Now I see how crappy mine was," Mandy comments as she looks down at the flyer.

"It was heartfelt crappy," Veronica says, trying to make Mandy feel better. She grabs a notepad and pen from her desk before moving to sit on the sofa, gesturing for Mandy to do the same. "So tell me more about the night Chester disappeared. Your front gate was open?"

Logan decides to just sit back and remain quiet, as if he were watching a show. He carefully watched Veronica. How quick she was to ask the right questions. The way she knew just how to handle the case. _Damn it, she's so hot_. Ho moved in his seat slightly, flashes of what they'd been doing on his bed just about an hour before went through his mind. It also didn't help that every time he looked at Veronica, with her hoodie closed tighter around her neck... _To hide the hickeys_. Logan had to look away for a moment. _Shit, Echolls. Calm the fuck down before you embarrass yourself_. He'd been trying to move in the chair to sit in such a way that he would be able to hide anything embarrassing should the situation arise, that he'd forgotten about the injuries he'd gotten the evening before. He'd twisted his back the slightest and a sharp pain ran down his entire back. _Shit! I haven't even been thinking about it since taking the meds… And being with Veronica_. He'd tried to stop himself from letting out a gasp at the pain, but a small sound came out anyway. He looked up to see if either Veronica or Mandy caught it. Mandy was still answering one of Veronica's questions, but Veronica looked over at him, making eye contact. She raised an eyebrow, clearly wondering what was going on. Logan just shrugged and gave her a small smile. She pursed her lips, eyebrows furrowing slightly, as she turned back to Mandy.

"So you put up flyers. Did you check the pound?" Veronica asked, glancing over at Logan again. _What is up with him? He's acting awfully odd. I could've sworn I heard him gasp, as quiet as it was... Maybe 'feeling sick' wasn't all there was to it_.

"Well, I called and I left them my number," Mandy replied.

"You should go down there. Give them a flyer. If they meet you, they're more likely to remember you and Chester if he comes through." Veronica said, once again glancing over at Logan. He'd taken out his phone and was playing a game. She could hear the low sounds coming from his phone.

They ended up deciding to go down to the pound right then, Veronica accompanying Mandy to get more information on what could have happened to Chester. Mandy told her she'd just meet her there, leaving the office after they'd agreed they'd get there in twenty minutes.

Once Mandy shut the door behind her, Veronica got up from the sofa. She dropped the notepad and pen onto her desk. Logan turned the game off and put his phone down. "Hey, so I'm gonna meet Mandy at the pound," she said, picking her bag from off her desk. She set it on the chair next to Logan instead. "You still wanna come along?" she asked, tilting her head down slightly.

Logan got up from the chair. The movement caused another stab of pain to shoot through his back. He tried to remain unfazed and not show it on his face, but he knew he wasn't so successful as soon as he looked up and saw Veronica's face. Her eyebrows furrowed and she was studying him carefully. "Logan, are you okay?" she asked gently. She stepped around the chair towards him.

Logan cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, shrugging. _Shit, I shouldn't have done that_. Shrugging caused yet another shot of pain to his back. This one wasn't as bad as the one before, but it still made him grimace. _Fuck_. He knew Veronica didn't believe he was fine when she stepped even closer to him.

She looked up at him, touching his left forearm gently. "Bullshit, you're okay," she said, searching his face. "What happened? Are you hurt?" She began to look him over, as if she had x-ray vision and could spot injuries underneath his clothes.

Logan looked down. _Crap. If I tell her, who knows what she'll do. Veronica's definitely the type to go around and try to fix things. But with this? She could get seriously hurt. I_ ** _can not_** _let that happen... And I wouldn't be abele to handle the look of pity she'd no doubt give me. I don't need people feeling sorry for me_. "Look Veronica," he says, running a hand through his hair. "I'm fine, okay. I'm not hurt or anything. Nothing happened." He looks at her, staring straight into her eyes as he spoke. _Please, don't ask anymore questions. Just leave it alone. I can't let you get involved in this in any way_.

Veronica had crossed her arms partway through Logan speaking. She wanted to believe him. She really did. But something was seriously off about him. She couldn't quite place it, but the way he spoke... _Nothing happened? Then why did he grimace when he got up from the chair? And before that... When he simply moved a little bit around in his seat, I swear I heard him make a noise... A noise of pain... I know Logan's known to get into fights every now and then, but he hasn't for a while now. I doubt he'd just gotten into a fight yesterday. There'd be more signs._ She glanced towards his hands. _No bruised knuckles. His face is also clear and free of any bruises. And I don't think he'd be denying being hurt or anything if it were as simple as that_...

"Veronica?" Logan said, nudging her elbow with his hand.

Veronica sighed. _Maybe now's not the right time. I need to meet Mandy at the pound soon. She'd probably understand if we were late, but still… No, I'll wait until later. At another time when we're alone and have time to really talk_. She nodded once. "Fine. Okay," she said. _Not fine. Not okay_.

Logan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and relaxed. "Okay," he said, gently removing her arms from their crossed position. He took her right hand in his left. "Now isn't there a pound we need to visit?" he asked, tugging her gently, away from her desk and towards the door.

Veronica let out a slightly shaky laugh and shook her head. She picked up her bag from the chair and let him lead her out of the office, locking it behind her.

~~LoVe~~

"We're looking for a lost Jack Russell terrier, Chester. Any chance he's come through?" Veronica asked, handing the dog pound worker a flyer. When she and Logan had arrived at the pound, Mandy had just gotten there herself. She'd gotten nervous again as soon as she'd seen Logan get out of the car with Veronica. _Guess someone is a little boy shy_.

The car ride to the pound had been unusually quiet between Logan and Veronica. Veronica had let Logan hold her hand during the ride over, but she'd taken to looking out the window the entire time. She couldn't stop thinking about Logan and how he'd acted back at the office. _Something is definitely off... But what? What has gotten Logan acting this way? How could he be hurt? …_ ** _Who_** _hurt him?_ Logan had glanced over at her multiple times during the drive. He'd begun to worry. _What is she thinking? Did she believe me back at the office?_

Now at the pound, he'd taken to stand behind Veronica, letting her do her thing. "Pure bred Jack. Hadn't come through. Sorry," the worker said, passing the flyer back to Veronica.

Veronica had just taken the flyer from out of the worker's hand when another came through the back door. "Veronica Mars? J-dub, this is the coolest girl in Neptune High," he began. Veronica got a weirded out, slightly annoyed look on her face. Logan stepped closer to her as soon as the guy began praising his girlfriend. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. _Who the hell is this guy?_ Veronica had begun to feel a little mad at Logan for not outright telling her what was wrong, so she didn't really feel like being so touchy-feely right now. However, the way this guy was looking at her and talking about her creeped her out a little, so she let it slide. _This time_. "She was gonna get expelled for planting a spy cam in the teacher's lounge, but she had so much dirt, they just let her off."

Veronica's eyebrows furrowed. _What the hell is this guy talking about?_

"Is that so?" 'J-dub' asks. Veronica glances at him, mouth slightly agape, bewildered look on her face. She didn't have a chance to reply though.

"Have you seen my dog?" Mandy asks the other worker. Veronica hands him the flyer.

"Um. Uh, man, no. Aww, I wish I had though. What a cutie. We'll keep an eye out, okay?"

"We'd really appreciate that. Thanks..." Veronica says, waiting for a name.

"Hans," the guy says.

"Hans." Logan tightens his hold around Veronica's shoulders slightly. Veronica mentally rolls her eyes at him. He doesn't loosen it until Hans leaves through the back door again.

As soon as the door shuts, Mandy turns to Veronica, curious. "You really hid a camera in the teacher's lounge?" she asks.

Logan looks at Veronica expectantly as well. He hadn't heard of anything like that, but still... _If it involves Veronica Mars, it's possible_. He'd like to know. "I have no idea what he's talking about," she says, looking at the both of them.

"Oh," Mandy says. The three of them leave the pound. Veronica tells Mandy they can do some more work the next day.

~~LoVe~~

"Are you hungry?" Logan asked. It was getting close to 8. He hadn't eaten anything since 'breakfast'. _Almost six hours ago_. His stomach was starting to rumble.

Veronica looked over at him as they walked towards the X-Terra. Logan had insisted he drive them to the pound earlier. The corners of her lips pulled up slightly. "Do you really have to ask?" she said.

Logan followed her to the passenger's side, opening the door for her. "Nah, I guess not." He smiled. "But it never hurts to ask."

Veronica gets inside the car and Logan shuts the door, before walking around the front of the car to get into the driver's seat. Veronica watches him closely. _Did he just flinch when he turned left? He definitely looked uncomfortable... Why won't he just tell me what's going on? It can't be that bad… Can it?_

Logan got into the car, careful of his injuries. He'd moved wrong a couple of times that day, but hadn't felt any of the wounds reopening, so he didn't have to worry about that right now. Getting into the car at the moment, however, when his back was beginning to sting all over again, was starting to prove to be somewhat difficult. Had he been alone, he would have taken his sweet time getting into his seat. But Veronica was here. And Veronica was very perceptive and attentive. _No doubt she'd become even more suspicious than she already is if I were to get into the car oh so slow and careful_. Logan wasn't quite ready to share his injuries or how he'd gotten them with anyone, especially Veronica. Truth be told, Logan hoped to never ever have to tell a single soul about it. So with that said, he got right into his seat like he would any other time.

He regretted it the moment it happened, though. He tried desperately not to show it, but his back hurt like hell. It felt like it was on fire. _Fuck, I really wish I'd brought the painkillers along_. He didn't glance over at Veronica. He didn't want to see her reaction. He knew he let something slip. And he knew she'd caught it. So he just put his seatbelt on, turned on the car and started driving.

Veronica stared at Logan. _Okay, seriously! What. Is. Wrong!? He looked like he was in pain when he got into the car. Bullshit he's fine_.

"So where do you wanna eat?" Logan asked as he drove out of the parking lot. He still hadn't looked over at Veronica.

Veronica glared. _He's seriously not even going to address it!? What the hell?_ "Logan," she said sternly.

"Hmm? Is that a new restaurant? Named after me?" he said, sarcastically, trying to deflect and change the subject.

Veronica huffed. "Logan," she said again, with more force this time. He still didn't say much or look over at her. "Logan!" she exclaimed, grabbing at his right forearm.

Logan sighed heavily. _Shit. She's mad, isn't she_. He decided to turn into a grocery store parking lot, parking into the first available parking space. "What Veronica!?" he said, a little exasperated, and turned in his seat to face her. He'd momentarily forgotten about his aching back, but was very quickly reminded of it again. Another sharp stab went up his back. He looked away from Veronica and balled his hands into fists so tight to ride out the pain that his knuckles had begun to turn white.

Veronica saw this and knew immediately he was very much injured. _And lying about it? Why would he lie to me about it, though?_ "Logan," she said, this time much gentler. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face him better. She reached out and took his hands into both of hers. He looked back at her. She was looking down at their hands. Sighing, she asks, "Logan, what's wrong?" She looks up at him, eyes soft and caring. "I can tell you're hurt." He opened his mouth, ready to deny it, but Veronica shakes her head, squeezing his hands. "Don't try to lie to me again, Logan. What happened?"

Logan sighs and looks down again. _What am I supposed to tell her now? Should I lie? Tell her I got into a fight yesterday but was too embarrassed about it? ... No, fights usually tend to mean black eyes and bruises... Not lashes on your back._ Logan shook his head slightly, glancing momentarily up at Veronica before looking down at their hands. She was staring at him, eyebrows furrowed. She was biting her lower lip, concentrating on his face. She was studying him, and he was quickly realizing how easily she'd see through his bullshit. _Fuck! But telling her means she's involved! And if she's involved, she could get hurt!_

Veronica could see that Logan was struggling, having an internal debate with himself. Usually she'd poke and prod until he told her what she wanted to know, but this was different. _Logan being hurt means someone's gonna pay. I don't want to make this harder for him by being a big ass nuisance and ask a million and one of the exact same question_. So she sat quietly, watching him. She rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles, trying to convey through touch to him that she'll be patient to hear his answer. _But a girl can only be patient for so long_.

Finally, Logan looked up from their joined hands. He looked at Veronica, searching her face. He sighed, making a final decision. "Fine," he whispered. He cleared his throat. "You're right," he said, glancing at their hands again. Veronica continued to watch him, inching a little closer. "I did get hurt... But I'm okay. You don't have to worry." He spoke softly, looking into her eyes as he did so.

Veronica stared at him. _Hurt_. She swallowed, looking away, glancing down at his shirt. "How?" she whispered. "What happened?" she asked, voice louder. She looks him over as best as she can.

Logan shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"Logan-"

He shook his head again, vehemently. "It doesn't matter, Veronica," he said, sternly. "It doesn't matter, okay?" he repeated, voice softer, pleading.

Veronica swallowed, shaking her head too. "Logan," she said, letting out a breath.

Logan squeezed her hands, pulling her a little closer. She looked up at him and he sighed. "Please, Veronica." He caressed her cheek, leaning forward to rest their foreheads together. "It doesn't matter," he whispered.

Veronica stared into his eyes. She wanted to argue. _Boy, do I_. But, Logan... He just looked so... She didn't want to hurt him. She sighed. _I guess getting him to tell me he really did get injured is good enough_... She nodded. "Okay, fine," she whispered.

Logan gave her a small, grateful smile. "Thank you," he whispered, before kissing her softly.

* * *

What did you guys think of this one?

V knows something's up with Logan. She knows he's gotten hurt, but not how or by who. She'll find out more soon.

On to the next chapter!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

 **Chapter Word Count** : 3,265

 **Spoilers** : Starts during _Weapons of Class Destruction_. From when ATF agent Ben takes Veronica to the Camelot. The rest of season one will happen, however, it will happen differently than in the show. A lot of stuff will happen earlier, so not everything will happen in the order portrayed on the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything Veronica Mars. I wish I did though. 'Cause, you know, then it'd be all about the LoVe. Always. :)

 **A/N** : Last chapter to read for this update. I've got the next chapter started, but if I don't get in written in the next two weeks, it will most likely be quite a while until it's posted. School starts up again for me the 24th. -_-

Well, anyway, read on! :)

* * *

They'd eventually decided to pick up a pizza and eat over at Logan's. They walked through the front door, pizza and breadsticks in hand.

"Yes, but daddy, it's a really good script!" They heard Trina say as they walked through the front living room. They found her in the kitchen, leaning against the island. "You wouldn't even need to be there for very long."

Trina didn't acknowledge their presence as they set the pizza and breadsticks on the table. Logan grabbed plates and cups for the two of them. He and Veronica sat down at the table, filling their plates.

Trina sighed. "Okay, fine. Bye." She shut her phone and huffed out of the kitchen, never giving Logan or Veronica a glance.

"Hmmm. Why hello, Trina. Yes, I did have a good day today and you?" Logan says, sarcastic, as he pours himself a glass of soda.

Veronica smirked. "Very inviting, your sister."

Logan snorted out a laugh. "Only when it benefits her," he says, shaking his head. They eat in silence for a while, both too hungry to do anything but.

On the drive to the house, Logan's back had begun to sting even more. It didn't help that the driving caused him to move against the back of the seat. He'd tried to sit still, back away from the seat, trying not to look too suspicious to Veronica. It was good that they'd arrived at the house rather quickly. Logan had a duffle bag full of surf stuff in the back of the X-Terra. Inside was also a bottle of painkillers. _You never know when you'll need them_. He'd taken a few as soon as he'd parked. Veronica had looked over at him when he practically launched himself out of the car to get to the back. _She probably thinks I'm nuts_. By the time she'd made it out of the car, he'd managed to swallow the pills and put the bottle back into the duffle. He took out a hoodie he kept in there for those cold mornings out so he had _some reason_ to show Veronica for going to the back of the truck. She still had an uncertain look on her face, though. She knew he'd gotten hurt, but she doesn't know how. _And I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible_. He'd noticed that she'd glance his way every so often. He acted as if he wasn't bothered, but really he wished she'd stop looking over at him like he was about to break or something. _At least, that's what it looked like to me. Maybe you were looking too much into it, Echolls. She might not think you're going to break... Hell, she might_ ** _actually really_** _care about you, and is acting like any normal person would when someone they care about gets hurt… But then again, when have I ever actually seen what that looks like?_

They'd both been quiet during the drive. Veronica couldn't help but think of all the scenarios in which Logan could get hurt. _My head is going to explode if I keep thinking about this_. She'd tried to think of other things to distract herself for the time being, but she couldn't. She was beginning to get really worried. She'd glance over at Logan. She wasn't even trying to make it look inconspicuous. _He was sitting so very still. I hardly saw him move an inch the whole drive over... And that is_ ** _so not_** _Logan. He's always moving, whether it's shaking his leg, or tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, or changing the radio station, or even just holding my hand, he's always doing_ ** _something_**.

Without conversation as they ate, their thoughts just kept on going, practically consuming them. They both even almost jumped out of their chairs when Veronica's phone rang.

"Hello," she answered, once she'd managed to take her phone out from her pocket.

"Hi, honey," her father replied. "I have some great news."

Veronica smiled. "Yeah?" There was silence on the other end. Veronica rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Well? Are you going to spill or do I have to tip you over?" she said. Logan looked at her, amused.

Keith chuckled. "Through the phone?" He laughed some more. "No need for that, honey, I'll tell you. So, the case went very well. So well, in fact, that they're going to be giving us something extra in addition to the fees for the investigation."

Veronica raised her eyebrows. _Something extra?_ "Really?" she asked, surprised. Rarely would clients be so pleased with the results from the investigations that they'd give them 'something extra'. _So rare, that it's only happened once… And that 'something extra'? It was a homemade pie. Definitely wouldn't complain if this was something like that, though. That pie was_ ** _so_** _delicious_.

"Yes. Now I know you're probably feeling a little skeptical about it. Believe me, I was too. But these people are genuine and seem to really keep their word."

"Hmm. So, what exactly is this 'something extra' anyway?" Veronica asked, leaning back in her seat. She'll finish her slice of pizza later.

"Well, as it turns out, the client _actually is_ the musician couple's son." Veronica's eyebrows practically went up to her hairline. Logan looked at her, inquisitive look on his face. She just raised up her finger, giving him the 'in-a-minute' gesture. He leaned on his elbow, head in hand, and took a drink of his soda, waiting for Veronica to finish her call. Keith continued talking. "They were just as surprised. It was definitely something else to see. But, anyway, they were all so overjoyed over everything, and what with me 'bringing them back together', they wanted to give us something like a gift, I guess."

Keith had stopped talking, and Veronica was beginning to get impatient. "Okay, dad. Suspense effectively built. Now, what is it?" she huffed. Logan grinned at Veronica's frustrated expression.

Keith chuckled. "Well alright. They want to give us... Drum roll please..." Veronica could hear her dad _actually_ doing a dum roll. _Oh, jeez dad_. "A brand new car!" he said, in a game show host voice.

Veronica's face bunched up in confusion. "What!?"

Keith laughed again. "No, I'm just kidding, honey." Veronica sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes. "They actually asked if there was anything we hadn't done in a while, you know, you and me, as a family. And well, the first thing that came to mind was that we haven't gone to Disneyland in almost eight years, even if it is a little more than an hour's drive away. So, they want to give us four of those premium tickets; the ones where we wouldn't have to wait in line for anything. They won't have a specific date on them, so we can go whenever we want to. I was thinking maybe we can go this weekend."

Veronica's face lit up. She sat up in her chair, smiling. "Wow, dad. That sounds really great." _Disneyland really would be a ton of fun. Eight years since the last time I've been there, I'll definitely enjoy it more now_.

She could almost hear her dad smiling on the other end. "That's great, honey. I'm glad you feel that way. Well, anyways, the case is now closed, but I'll still be heading home tomorrow. All the work I've been doing these passed couple of days is catching up to me, so I'm going to bed early. I'll probably be back home a little earlier, too. But I won't be able to see you until after school."

"Okay, dad. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Rest up, okay?"

"You bet, kiddo. Goodnight honey. I love you."

"Love you, too dad. Night," Veronica said, before hanging up. She set her phone down onto the table and sighed. Smiling, she grabbed her soda and took a sip.

Logan watched her. _She looks happy. Whatever her dad and her talked about must be pretty great news_. He couldn't help but give a small smile as he watched Veronica. _Her smile is definitely contagious_. When she looked up at him, he asked, "So, how's your dad?"

"Fine. He finished the case. Turns out, the guy _is actually_ the musicians' son!"

Logan looked surprised. "Seriously?"

Veronica nodded. "Yeah. Dad said they were so happy with the results of the case, that they want to give us Disneyland tickets, of all things, as something extra," she said, picking up her slice of pizza and taking a bite.

"Hmmm," Logan nodded, leaning forward to rest on his elbows. "Reunite a family. Get tickets to Disneyland. Seems like an equal deal," he said, sarcastic.

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Well, dad wants to go this weekend. And who can say no to _the happiest place on earth_?"

Logan chuckled. "You know, I've never been to Disneyland," Logan said after a moment.

Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she asked. "I thought you and Duncan went when you were younger?"

Logan shook his head. "That was the plan, but no. I got sick and then just never got around to going." He shrugged.

Veronica pursed her lips. "Hmmm," she hummed, taking a sip from her glass, staring straight ahead. Logan smiled at her. Veronica put her glass down and turned in her seat to face Logan. "Hey, so speaking of dad. He, uh, wants to take us all out to dinner tomorrow night." Logan raised his eyebrows, looking slightly confused. _'Us all'? Wait... Me too?_ Veronica smiled, and as if she could read his mind, she said, "Yes, you too." Logan's eyes widened slightly before he gave a shy smile, looking down at his hands. Veronica chuckled lightly. She took his hands into hers, intertwining their fingers. "Wallace, his mom, and his little brother will also be there. So, don't worry," she said, looking up Logan. "You won't have to deal with him all by yourself," she said, giving him a comforting smile.

Logan looked down at their hands. _Thank god for that. Mr. Mars isn't so bad, but the man still scares the hell out of me from time to time... Not that I'd ever let anyone know that_. He nodded. "Alright, good." Veronica giggled. "What time shall I come by?" he asked.

~~LoVe~~

It was getting close to 10, and Veronica needed to get back home. _Poor Backup. He'll really need to be let out_. They'd gone outside and had sat down by the pool, feet dangling into the water. They'd talked about everything from school to music, but had strayed from bringing up anything heavy. Veronica wanted, desperately, to ask Logan more about his injuries, but she knew he'd try to avoid.

"...It wasn't until he was almost halfway through that he realized what he'd eaten," Logan laughed, as he told Veronica about the time a half-asleep Dick ate a peanut butter and 'jelly' sandwich.

Veronica shook her head, laughing. "That's so gross." She leaned back on her hands and looked up at the dark sky. Sighing, she said, "It's getting late. I really should get going."

Logan turned his head to look at her. He leaned back, mirroring her position. He scooted closer and their shoulders touched. "Okay," he whispered. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. "Although I'd rather you stay," he said, caressing her cheek with his left hand.

Veronica sighed, resting her forehead against his. She gave him a small smile. "That would be nice," she whispered, leaning closer. She laid her right hand on Logan's shoulder. "But, poor Backup's been inside practically all day. I really have to let him out." Logan sighed and Veronica pursed her lips. "But," she said, before giving Logan a soft, tender kiss on the lips. "Maybe another time," she whispered against his lips.

Logan grinned, lips still touching hers. "Hmmmm," he kissed her, slowly. "I'll definitely remember that," he said, once they'd ended the kiss. Slowly, and reluctantly, Logan leaned back. "C'mon," he sighed. He held out his hand to help Veronica up.

The two of them walked out to the front of the house. When they reached Veronica's Le Baron, Logan took hold of Veronica's hand and twirled her around. Veronica's gasp in surprise was muffled by Logan's lips capturing hers.

Veronica giggles against Logan's mouth, and he smiles in return, pulling her closer to his body. Veronica's hands move up Logan's chest, to bring his head down closer, deepening the kiss. She sighs, reveling in the feeling of Logan's lips against hers, _of Logan's body against hers_. She runs her fingers through his hair, stretching up on tip-toes for more contact. _I'm still a little frustrated with him from earlier... But god damn the boy can kiss. I almost can't even remember why_. Veronica sighs when Logan begins to kiss across her cheek and down her neck. _Maybe I should ease up on him a little?_ Logan slowly moves his hands down Veronica's back, to rest them on her ass. He squeezes oh-so gently, pushing her body tighter against his, and then lifts her to sit on the hood of her car. Veronica automatically wraps her legs around Logan's waist, and takes his face in between her hands, bringing his lips back to hers.

They are so lost in each other, the sound of the front gate opening causes them both to jump. Both breathless, they turn towards the gate, to see a car drive in. They watch, still catching their breaths, as the car parks and see Trina get out.

"Oh, hello little brother. Am I interrupting?" Trina says as she passes by them. They separate slightly, but are still wrapped around each other. Veronica turns away from Trina and rests her forehead against Logan's shoulder. Logan just rolls his eyes at Trina, glaring at her as she walks towards the house. Trina smiles half-heartedly at them. "Well, goodnight!" she calls, just before opening the front door and going inside.

Logan sighs and turns back to Veronica. "Sorry about that," he says, moving his hands lightly up and down her arms.

Veronica moves her head from Logan's shoulder and smiles up at him, loosening the hold her legs have around his waist, now just dangling on either side of him. She tugs him closer by the front of his shirt. "It's okay. Trina is just... Trina." Logan smirks. "I _really_ should be getting home now, though."

Logan's smirk turns into a frown. He's staring at her, pouting. Veronica almost changes her mind, and instead will just stay the night, but remembers she has things to do. _But he just looks so cute with that pout_.

Logan sighs. "Okay," he whispers. Veronica leans up and kisses him softly. Before Logan has the chance to turn the small kiss into another steamy make-out session, Veronica pulls back.

"I'll see you in the morning, ok?" Veronica says. Logan nods, taking a step back so that Veronica can get down from the hood of the car. He opens her car door for her and she smiles at him.

"I'll be over bright and early with breakfast," Logan says, pushing her bangs off of her forehead, and Veronica's smile widens.

She turns momentarily to drop her bag into the passenger seat. She turns back to Logan and smiles beautifully up at him. "Good. I'll be expecting something delicious," she says, leaning closer into him.

Logan chuckles. "I'll keep that in mind." Veronica closes her eyes as he kisses her forehead. Logan back slightly to rest his forehead against hers. "Goodnight Veronica," he says, softly, staring into her eyes. "Drive safe." He softly caresses her cheek with his hand. "Text me when you get home. I'll see you in the morning."

 _My god, he has the most beautiful eyes... Wait... what did he say?_ Veronica blinks, giving a small nod. "Okay," she whispers back. "See you in the morning."

They stare into each other's eyes, both smiling, for a moment more, before Logan steps back. They're still both smiling and Veronica turns to get into the car. "Goodnight Veronica," Logan says, once more, as Veronica puts on her seatbelt.

Veronica looks back up at him. "Goodnight Logan," she says. She turns on the car, eyes never leaving Logan's. Logan takes a few steps away from the Le Baron, giving more room for Veronica to pull out of the driveway. She waves at him as she drives by him and out of the driveway. Logan stays there, standing, smiling, watching as his girlfriend drives away.

He's still standing in the same spot for another minute, staring out at the gate, before he finally moves. He looks up at the night sky and smiles. _There may be some pretty shitty things going on in my life, but at least I have Veronica back. With her in my life... Just being around her... Being with her, things are just... better_. Logan glances back out to the gate, once more, before finally turning to walk inside the house.

~~LoVe~~

It's almost two in the morning when Logan wakes up. He's feeling a little frustrated about it. He'd been having a _really good_ dream about Veronica. _About him and Veronica_. Logan huffs out a frustrated breath. _Damn, I know I told myself that I'm going to hold off and let Veronica set the pace, but fuck... If I keep having these dreams I might explode... Not to mention the fact that every time I see her and she does something cute or hot - which is practically always - it makes me want to just push her against the nearest hard surface and get lost in her_.

Logan spends a couple of minutes staring at the ceiling, trying to calm himself down. Afterwards, when he feels like he can breathe normally again, he gets up out of bed. _All that staring made me hungry_.

Downstairs, he grabs two pop tarts and a glass of milk and sits down at the kitchen counter to eat. He's about halfway through his second pop tart when he hears someone coming to the kitchen. When he looks up, he sees it's Trina. _Hmmm, she's walking a little funny_.

"Hey Trin, if you take your top off before you get on the mechanical bull, you won't fall off," Logan jokes.

Trina walks by him, towards the mini fridge behind him, not saying anything to him. _Wait, why is she wearing sunglasses inside at this hour?_

"What happened to you?" Logan asks, standing up. He's beginning to get concerned.

"Nothing," Trina says, trying to get passed him.

Logan moves in front of her and takes the sunglasses from her face. _What the fuck!? A black eye, Trina!?_ Trina tries to get the sunglasses back, but Logan holds them up out of her reach.

"Don't you have some sleeping to get back to, little brother?"

Logan drops his arm and Trina takes her sunglasses back from him before turning to walk away.

"That wannabe producer boyfriend do this to you?" Logan asks, following Trina. She stops walking but doesn't turn around. "What's his name? Dylan?" Trina doesn't say anything. "Dylan what? What's his last name?"

Trina finally turns around to face him. "It doesn't matter."

"It does now! Tell me."

"You've made it clear that you have no interest in my problems, Logan. Don't be wishy-washy. It's so unattractive in a guy," Trina says, before turning and limping away. Logan stays where he stands, watching his sister walk - _limp_ \- away. _I'm gonna get that son of a bitch_.

* * *

What'd y'all think?

Also, again I apologize for the long wait. I'm seriously going to try to get my shit together and stop procrastinating on everything so much. (Fingers crossed!)

Until next time. XOXO


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